


Be Wherever You Are

by LazyLazer



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe, Eliot and Warren being assholes, F/F, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Fluff, Jeffershit is here but not important, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2020-11-08 12:44:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 50,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20835683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyLazer/pseuds/LazyLazer
Summary: - Max looked up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Actually, the woman’s eyes matched her hair.Aggravated, disgruntled, and just generally sick of people, Max takes to hiding in an almost empty bar in Portland International as she waits for a storm to pass. Turns out, this is one of her few good decisions. Definitely going to have to remember this one. For the food obviously.





	1. Chapter 1

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/184769390@N06/48823218082/in/datetaken/)

_ Fuck. They tell you to get here two hours early, and for what?  _ Max complained, as she checked the board for departure times. 

Rain pounded hard on the windows of Portland International Airport, so hard that it was audible over the buzz of a plethora of delayed travelers. Max heaved a sigh and decided to take a walk through the terminal. She unbuttoned the top button on her blouse as she walked, her modest heels clicking on the tile.  _ Damn, I just want to go home! _

“Dylan, leave your sister alone, she’s sleeping!” Max looked over at the woman with her two children in the waiting area as she passed. Dylan’s sister looked so comfortable in her stroller with her teddy bear and a blanket.  _ What I wouldn’t give to be that child… _

Max made it to her gate and plopped down in a seat farthest away from other human beings. It provided a view of the tarmac currently being pounded by the sudden storm. She removed her camera bag and placed it on the chair next to her, to hopefully keep overly-friendly plane-mates at bay. Being at the airport made people feel compelled to talk to each other. No useful information is gained, yet everyone insisted on making idle conversation. It was something that Max despised and dreaded, but she let it happen because she didn’t want to be rude. 

Every conversation always started with, “Where are you from?” , “Where are you going?”, and “Why are you going there?” If she let the conversation continue, she’d end up telling them she was a photographer, they’d want to see her photos, and then she’d look like an asshole for not wanting to show them off. “I can’t, they’re for a client,” she’d say. Then, with nothing interesting left to talk about, they’d drop the conversation and pretend there was something interesting on their phone.

Max pulled out her laptop so she could send an email to Dana, Mark Jefferson’s secretary, to let her know she wouldn’t be back any time soon. 

Dana’s reply was immediate.  _ “You might want to get comfortable,”  _ she wrote, _ “We heard the rain’s not letting up any time soon. Let us know when you board!” _

Max checked the weather, and Dana was right. A huge green and orange blob covered Oregon and Washington.  _ DAMN IT!  _ Max rolled her eyes and rolled her shoulders back a few times to quell her growing frustration. 

_ Why don’t Victoria or Kate ever do this? Oh, right, because Mark likes to torture me. He says my work only comes to life when I’m out of the studio. Or maybe Victoria’s ass-kissing is less obvious than I think it is.  _

A child at the gate began to wail. Max watched as a guy in a suit argued with the gate attendant about how the flight  _ must _ leave on time. She looked at the ugly, green carpet beneath her feet wishing the man would stop being an asshole and embarrassing himself. A woman across the aisle started hacking up a lung. She sniffed and wiped her nose on her hand. An old man snored loudly nearby.

_ I can’t. There’s no way I’m sitting here the whole time.  _

Max stood up and grabbed her messenger bag, and left the area as quickly as her feet would carry her. She knew it’d probably be impossible to find a spot free of people, but maybe she could escape the madness for a while. 

She rushed past people bitching and moaning in the hall, people talking on the phone. She could hear her pulse quickening. She wanted so badly to be alone and away from the cacophony.  _ The bathroom?  _ she considered, but thought she might hear, see, or smell things far worse than in the terminal. 

She pulled out her earbuds and shoved them into her ears to keep out the noise. She continued walking past different gates, dodging people left and right, when she happened to see a restaurant with only one person sitting at the bar. 

_ Thank dog! _

She rushed in and quickly took a place at the bar. She’d considered one of the few tables but thought it rude to take a whole table all to herself and have the waitress come out to her. She set her laptop on the surprisingly immaculate granite bar top and removed her headphones. She could still see the tarmac outside and all of the grounded planes. The man at the other end of the bar looked extremely unwell. He was an older man who was clearly exhausted judging by the bags under his eyes. His shirt was wrinkled and his tie drooped around his neck. His hair was disheveled, and not in a stylish way.  _ Poor guy looks like he’s having a worse day than me.  _

Max opened her laptop and checked her email again. 

“Rick, you doin’ okay, bud?” a woman asked. Max tried to stay focused on her emails. It wasn’t any of her business... but she couldn’t help herself. 

“Ah, yeah I’m making it. Can I have another club soda?”

“For sure! It’s looking like you’ll have a bit more time to recover than usual. Ain’t nothing leaving this airport.” Max heard the fizzing soda hose and suddenly felt parched. 

“Thank Christ,” Rick responded. The glass hit the bar and Max soon felt the presence of another person in front of her. Max looked up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Actually, the woman’s eyes matched her hair. 

“How’re you today, miss?”

“F-fine, thank you.” Max gulped and tucked her hair behind her ear. She quickly glanced at the vibrant tattoo woven around the woman’s arm.  _ Whoa. _

“My name’s Chloe. Welcome to Henry’s Tavern,” she said smiling. 

_ Is that where I am? Surely this isn’t real life. She can’t be real.  _

“Here’s a menu for you,” she said, sliding a laminated and mysteriously wet menu toward her. “Can I start you off with something to drink?”

“Just a water’s fine, thank you.” 

“You got it!”

Max watched as Chloe walked away.  _ Seriously, wow.  _

Startled by her own thoughts, Max shook her head and perused the menu.  _ Am I even hungry? Meh. I might as well eat.  _

_ And if you order something, she’ll have to keep coming back to talk to you and— _

_ JEEZ MAX COOL YOUR JETS, WOULD YA! _

Max rested her head in her palm. 

“Is...everything okay, miss?”

Startled, Max jumped and nearly fell off the bar stool. “Y-yes, yes I’m fine, thank you.”

Chloe smirked, “Sure you don’t want a beer? Or maybe something stronger? You look like you need something to take the edge off.”

“I’m not really a big drinker,” Max replied, a girlish giggle escaping her lips. 

_ What the FUCK was that?! _

“Ah, okay. No big deal. Just let me know. I’ll make you anything you want.”

_ Will you? _

Max’s eyes widened at her own thoughts.  _ Have you no shame?! No control?! _

“Is there anything on the menu that sounds good?”

Max had looked at it but she didn’t actually read it. She scolded herself once more before asking, “What would you recommend?”

Chloe pursed her lips. “Hmm, breakfast or lunch?”

“I have a choice?”

“Hell yeah, girl!”

“Breakfast then.”

“Waffles it is. Coming right up,” Chloe said, and walked away with a wink. 

Max knew her face was red. She tried her best to hide behind the laptop and focus on working while she waited for her food. 

Max responded to several emails, including one from Kate who said she’d heard the news and that she hoped she got on another flight soon. 

_ She’s very sweet. I don’t know if she’s got an angle or if she just wants to be friends, but I don’t have the time for that.  _

After she sent her email to Kate, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. When she read the message, she wanted to throw her phone behind the bar to break as much glass as possible. 

“Damn it!”

“Corporate America getting you down over there?” Chloe had materialized in front of her once more holding a plate of golden waffles. 

“No,” she said irritably. “Sorry, my flight has just been delayed again.”

Chloe sat the plate down in front of her. “Who are you flying with?”

“American Airlines.”

“Oooooh yikes! They’re the worst. I’m sorry…” Chloe leaned over Max’s phone, where her mobile ticket was currently on display, “Maxine Caulfield.”

“Max, actually. I hate being called ‘Maxine.’”

“My apologies, Max. Well, feel free to stay here for as long as you want. It’s usually pretty chill here on weekdays.”

“Thank you.”

Chloe went to get Rick another soda and Max tucked into her waffles. They were beyond perfect. So perfect, the news story on the TV screen overhead hardly pissed her off. 

“How are they?” Chloe asked when she returned. 

Max covered her full mouth, “SO goob!”

“Goob, huh? Quite the compliment.”

Max wanted to hide her face again. She tried her best to swallow her food quickly to respond, but Chloe took the opportunity to ask her another question. 

“What’s your story?” Chloe asked, leaning on the bar. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You know. Where are you going, what’re you doing when you get there, blah blah blah,” she responded, making a talking motion with her hand. 

“W-why?”

Chloe shrugged, “I dunno. I know you’ve got a long time to hang around, so I thought I’d help pass the time. You look interesting.”

“What? Oh no, definitely not.”

“I’ll be the judge of that! Come on, what’re you doing in the  _ fine  _ city of Portland.”

_ Surely Rick is much more personable and interesting than me, but fine. Talking to a pretty girl is better than working right? And what’s the harm, you’ll never see her again.  _

“I was actually an hour or so from here. In a town called Arcadia Bay.”

“No shit! That’s where I’m from! Not much exciting going on there, though. What were you doing there?”

“I was there taking photos for a client. They’re starting this huge ad campaign for their school. Very elite, very artsy.”

“At Blackwell?”

“Y-yeah, actually.”

“Damn! The world really is  _ so  _ small. Did you meet Ray Wells then?”

“Yes, I did.”  _ Unfortunately. _

“Aww, Max, I’m so sorry. No wonder you look like you need a drink. He’s the most arrogant—“

“Pedantic—“ Max added. 

“Pompous—“

“Annoying—“

“And evil person I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting,” Chloe finished. “That’s saying something. I work at a fucking airport.”

Max laughed, a real genuine laugh. It felt so foreign coming from her.  _ How long has it been since I’ve had a good laugh? _

“So you’re flying home? To where?” she inquired, once Max’s laughter had subsided. 

“Los Angeles. I work for a studio down there called Chiaroscuro.”

“Wow! That’s really cool. Big city girl, eh?”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“My friend Rachel and I are moving there soon.”

“Oh yeah, what for?” Max already knew the answer. Chloe was going to say one of them was an aspiring actress, and that it has always been her dream to live in L.A. and be famous.  _ Please, no. That place eats people alive.  _

“Rachel wants to be an actress.”  _ Aaaaand there it is.  _

“What about you? Do you want to be famous too?”

“Nah, I just want to get out of here. Do something different, y’know? I want to help Rachel get where she wants to go, too.”

“You’re a really good friend,” Max replied. 

“I try to be. Is there anything else I can get you, Max?”

“No, I’m okay.”

“You sure I can’t get you that beer?”

Max smiled, “No, no, thank you.” 

Chloe patted the bar in front of her and headed back to Rick. Another wary soul wandered up to the bar while Max looked on at her. Chloe was very kind and genuinely made her feel normal for a second.  _ I hope she gets her chance.  _

She made a split second, extremely impulsive decision. She pulled out all of the money she had in her wallet and put it underneath a bar napkin. She got a pen from her messenger bag and wrote on the napkin:

**For LA. Good luck!**

While Chloe was distracted by her new customer, Max slipped out of the tavern and back into the hustle and bustle without saying goodbye. It saddened her she would probably never see Chloe again.  _ How astounding it is that all of us, all of these people ended up together at this one point in time and none of us will remember one another.  _


	2. Chapter 2

By now, the entire process was second nature. Max dropped her photo into the developer and began agitation. The smiling face of the model she had photographed earlier that day slowly appeared on the paper.  _ This is SO cool. It gets me every time.  _

She loved everything about this process, but more than anything, she would love to be at home instead. The “fuck this” feeling. It never went away. She frowned as she continued to stir the photo.

The door of the dark room flew open with a loud bang. Light shone in from the hall. 

Max spun around quickly and saw Victoria standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. “What the  _ fuck _ ?”

“Haven’t you ever heard of a digital camera, Lamefield?”

Max returned her attention to the developing photo and saw the image had fogged. It was her fault for getting lost in thought and leaving it in the developer too long. She wasn’t going to admit that to Victoria, though. “What do you want, Victoria?” she snapped. 

“Mark wants to see you in his office. Now.” 

“Why?”

Victoria didn’t answer the question. Her evil grin unsettled Max as she walked away down the hall. She shook her head in disbelief, throwing the ruined photo into the sink and making a mental note to come back to clean up after her meeting with Mr. Jefferson. 

She climbed the two flights of stairs rather than risk running into a coworker in the elevator. She waited a few moments before entering Jefferson’s office to steady her breathing. She knocked politely on the door, “Mr. Jefferson? You wanted to see me?”

She heard the rustling of papers before he said, “Yes, Max. Please come in.” 

She opened the door as she tried to make her expression as pleasant as possible. Mr. Jefferson was an excellent photographer, but she quickly learned to avoid him at all costs. Her boss took every opportunity to drone on about his accomplishments and provided criticism that was sometimes less than constructive. He felt he was entitled to admiration and could say whatever he wanted because of his experience. While this was frustrating, Max understood it was another hoop she had to jump through on the path to success. 

With a big smile he turned to Max and said, “I have wonderful news for you.”

Max smiled hesitantly. “W-What, sir?”

“Ray Wells from Blackwell Academy has requested you  _ personally  _ for the student photographs for the school yearbook!”

Max failed to see how that was a good thing. She plastered on her best smile. “Really?” She asked through clenched teeth. 

“Yes! He was so impressed with your work he said he wouldn’t accept anyone else.”

“Great,” she said with feigned enthusiasm.  _ All of my schooling and training and I’m going to be babysitting a bunch of trust fund children for a day? Fucking great.  _

“I have a great feeling about this relationship with Ray. Is it a bit bizarre that he asked us to complete a project like this? Yes, but I’m willing to do it especially if he is willing to pay.  _ You  _ made this possible. Excellent work, Max.”

“Just doing my job,” she said as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. 

“I had Dana book flights for you. You and Kate leave tomorrow.”

“Kate, sir?”

“Yes. He only requested you, but I can’t let you go alone on something like that. It’s a lot of work, I know, but I’m confident you two can handle it. I would have preferred Victoria go with you, but she had a family obligation.”

_ That’s why she looked so smug. Dog, I dodged a bullet there. I’m sure Kate will be much more pleasant.  _

“Just stop at Dana’s desk on your way out. She’ll provide you with your itinerary and hotel information.” He looked down at one of the many papers on his desk and began scribbling something with his expensive-looking fountain pen. “Keep up the good work, Max, and you’ll go far in this company. You’re dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said while screaming internally.  _ FUUUUUUUUUUCK! _

She didn’t want to go on yet another trip. Why did she want to do this so badly, again? Why couldn’t she be interested in something simple and quiet, like accounting? A librarian? Literally anything other than this. This meant more time spent at the airport, more time on a plane, more time making idle conversation with strangers that, for some reason, thought she looked interesting enough to talk to.

And Kate?! The girl was sweet, but Max feared her presence could be detrimental to her career. She knew she should be wary of people like that: sweet, innocent, friendly. The sweet ones are those that backstab you in an instant to get ahead. 

She made a stop at Dana’s desk as instructed. “Hey, Max! Off on another adventure, huh?”

“I guess so. Not really, though. I’ve been there before.”

“Right, but it’s good to get out right? Like a little vacation.”

_ Absolutely not, but okay.  _

“I’ve got you and Kate booked on the same flight. American Airlines, tomorrow at 10:40 a.m. Here is your flight check in code, your rental car, and your hotel accommodations in Arcadia Bay.”

Dana handed Max a small stack of paper and beamed at her. “I’ll leave any other arrangements up to you and Kate. If you want to arrange to ride together to the airport or whatever, that’s all on you.” She lowered her voice, “Ride sharing is recommended as it saves the firm money, you know.”

Max nodded. “Mmm.” She had no intention whatsoever of making plans with Kate.

“Make sure you keep all of your receipts if you want your money back!”

“Yup, I know the drill.”

“Great! Have a nice trip, and keep me updated with any issues or delays.”

“Will do.” 

Max couldn’t get away from Dana’s desk quickly enough. This meant only one more night at home this week. The anxiety and discomfort she felt at the thought sparked several different thoughts.  _ I could call in sick! Say my mom died? No, they’d ask too many questions. There’s no way to get out of this is there? I was requested.  _ Max thought about the food in her fridge that would go to waste while she was away, how her routine would be destroyed, how she would have to share a hotel room with someone she didn’t know well.  _ Why am I doing this? Why is this the career I wanted?  _

Max returned to the dark room to clean up her mess. There was still 15 more minutes before she was allowed to leave the building anyways. She drained all of the basins and discarded the ruined photograph.  _ What a waste. All of this. Everything _ . 

After washing her hands, she returned to her cubicle to find Kate waiting there for her.  _ Damn it.  _

“Hi, Max!” she greeted cheerfully. 

Max adorned the best smile she could muster once again. “Hi, Kate.” Max could tell something had unsettled her by her response as her smile faltered and her face turned concerned. 

“I’m sorry to bother you.” She folded in on herself, looking ashamed and genuinely sorry.

Max tried to tone down whatever emotion she was showing on her face.  _ Don’t be an ass. She didn’t do anything.  _ “No, it’s fine. Sorry. What can I do for you?”

Max knew she was successful when the blonde woman’s smile returned. “Well, I’m a little nervous about the sudden trip we are taking tomorrow, and since you’ve traveled so much with the firm, I was wondering if you could tell me what it’s like.”

“Uh. What do you mean? We fly there, drive to Arcadia Bay, do the job, and come home. It’s nothing too complicated,” Max replied, consciously trying to keep the edge of annoyance out of her voice.

Kate wrung her hands nervously. “I’ve never flown before.”

“What?”  _ How is that possible? _

“Yes, and I’m terrified,” she admitted. Kate looked down at her feet. “I know, it’s crazy. A 24-year-old who’s never been away from home. Can you help me? Can we meet here and go to the airport together? I don’t know how to get to LAX, and I don’t really know what to do when I get there.”

Max softened at the girl’s admission. Leaving her by herself for something like this seemed cruel. “It’s okay. Sure. I’ll drive us to the airport. Meet me here at 8 a.m., and I’ll show you the ropes. You got an itinerary from Dana, right?”

Kate beamed. “Yes! Thank you so much, Max! I’m so glad that we get to go together.” She leaned in closer to Max and whispered, “I was relieved when Mr. Jefferson said I’d be going with you. Victoria isn’t very nice to me.”

Max didn’t have to try for an authentic smile after that comment. She even chuckled a bit. “She’s not nice to me either.”

“I’m sorry for gossiping.” The girl put her hand to her chest and looked at Max apologetically. 

“No apologies needed for anything, Kate. You’re fine.” Max inched closer to her chair assuming their conversation was probably at an end. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay! It was nice talking to you!” She waved as she walked toward her own cubicle. “Have a good night!”

“You too,” she called back. 

With Kate gone, she rested her head on her palms and then pulled her hands down her face. She checked her watch and was relieved to see she was allowed to leave the office.  _ AT LAST! _

She grabbed her jacket and messenger bag and rushed out without a goodbye to anyone.

* * *

Max arrived at her small studio apartment and threw herself onto her bed. She groaned into her pillow when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. There was only one person it could be. She rolled onto her back, and without even looking at the phone, she answered, “Hi, mom.”

“Maxine, I’ve tried to call you three times. Where have you been?” Vanessa Caulfield scolded frantically.

“I was on the bus home. I didn’t want to talk while I was on it. I feel like people are listening.”

Ignoring her reasoning completely, Vanessa asked, “Aren’t you a little late getting home?”

“Uh, no I don’t think so. Maybe a couple minutes. Nothing happened, nothing is wrong, I promise.”

Vanessa sighed with relief. “Good. How’s my girl?”

“Fine,” Max replied with a shrug.

“Just fine? Nothing exciting is going on?” Vanessa coaxed.

“Not really. I’m leaving for Oregon tomorrow, if that counts.”

“Again?! I really don’t like all of the traveling you have to do for that job. Why are you going there?”

“I really impressed the client I worked for the last time I was there. He asked for me specifically.” Max wished she felt more enthusiastic about it. It really was a big deal.

“That’s wonderful, honey!” Vanessa said.

“Yeah, I guess so. I still have to go, which sucks.”

“You’re going to be very well traveled at least. You’ll have plenty of interesting stories.”

“Mmm.”  _ Don’t know why that matters. I have no one to tell them to. _

“Anything else new?” Vanessa asked, still pressing for more information about her daughter’s life.

“Nope.”

“Anything outside of work perhaps? Like a boyfriend? Hmm?” Vanessa asked suggestively.

Max scoffed, “No, mom. Are you gonna ask me that every time we talk?”

“What about a girlfriend?” Max could hear the smirk in her voice.

“NO! Mom, no! Jeez!”

“What? Having a girlfriend isn’t so bad. I had one in college. They’re nice because they know how to treat women. And the sex— ”

“MOM. Stop now, please! No, I don’t have a girlfriend either.”

“Okay, honey. I’m just saying. Don’t knock it until you try it.”

_ For fuck’s sake.  _ Max reached up to rub her temple with her free hand.

“I worry about you being all alone down there, Maxine. Don’t you have any friends? Do you go out for happy hour with your coworkers or go to nerd groups like you did here?”

Max huffed, “No. I don’t have time for that. And I travel so much, what’s the point?”

“Life isn’t all about work, hon.”

“I love what I do. I don’t know why we have to keep talking about it,” Max snapped.

Vanessa changed the subject knowing this was a losing battle. It was a battle that she lost weekly. 

“Are you eating? Getting enough sleep?”

“Yes,” Max sighed. 

“Good. Well, your father and I are going out with Gary and Jean from next door. If you need anything, give me a call okay?”

“Thanks, mom. Love you.”

“Love you, too, sweetie.”

With that, Max hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed next to her. She rubbed her face and decided to turn on the TV to have something to listen to while she completed chores around the apartment and packed a bag. After “enjoying” a frozen dinner and a few episodes of Game of Thrones, Max went to bed dreading the next day.

* * *

Kate met her at the scheduled time, chipper and far too enthusiastic for Max’s liking. As they approached the airport, Kate gasped. Max could feel her practically vibrating in the seat next to her. “Wow, this place is huge! I feel like I’m going to Disneyland!”

Max nodded, navigating through the heavy traffic. She was cut off several times, but she kept her lips shut tight not wanting to start off the trip on the wrong foot with Kate. While she was wary about being friends, she didn’t want Kate to think she was a total asshole. 

Max found a parking spot, and she and Kate made their way to the airport lobby. The shuttle bus that took them there nauseated Max as the bus driver weaved in and out of the traffic, attempting to get the group of travelers to the lobby in a timely fashion. Max noticed that Kate had paled significantly. 

“Are you okay?” Max asked.

“Y-yeah. Fine.” Max saw her knuckles were white, clenched around the handles on her purple Vera Bradley bag. Deciding not to press her on her obvious anxiety, Max closed her eyes and relaxed into her seat hoping it would help with her nausea from the bus ride. 

With their tickets in hand, Max guided Kate to the TSA station for their concourse. 

“What’s going on?” Kate asked.

  
A bit stunned by her ignorance, Max explained the process.“We have to go through security. We send our bags through a machine and all of our metal products and stuff. Then they scan your body to make sure you don’t have anything on you, and yeah. Then we get to get on a plane.” 

“I...I didn’t realize everything that went into this.” Kate looked even more nervous now. She fidgeted with her cardigan and Max could hear her breathing become erratic. 

_ If she doesn’t calm down, they are going to think she has a bomb.  _ “It looks scary,” Max said, trying to ease her worries, “But it’s really not a big deal.” Kate nodded, but was still very unsure. Max wasn’t sure what to say to ease her worries, but kept an eye on her to make sure she didn’t run away or do anything to raise the agents’ suspicion. 

Kate had paled even more as they waited in line. By the time they reached the conveyor, Max was afraid Kate would pass out before they made it to the other side. As they approached the conveyor where they were to place their bags, a TSA agent started barking instructions for what to put on the belt, startling Kate so much that she dropped her bag on the floor. With shaking hands, she picked up her bag, placed it on the belt, and began to take off her shoes as instructed. Max was fascinated by Kate’s behavior, but also felt horrible for her. This process was so normal to her that she had forgotten to be nervous about it. 

She went into the body scanner ahead of Max, clearly trembling. “Hands above your head, miss,” another agent demanded. 

_ Almost done, Kate. Don’t freak out. Don’t freak out. _

When the scanner was done, the agent instructed, “Step out.”

“What?” Kate asked nervously.

“STEP OUT!” he yelled, startling Kate once more. 

She did as instructed and raised her arms as he asked so he could pat her down. She shuddered at every touch and Max could see her eyes filling with tears as she stepped forward toward the scanner.  _ No, Kate, don’t cry! Way to go, Max. You should have warned her.  _

Max got through without a hitch and found Kate sitting on a bench with her things. 

Max sat down next to her on the bench. Kate wouldn’t look at her, clearly embarrassed by the situation. Max saw her cheeks were stained with tears. “Are you...okay?” Max asked gently.

“I’m being stupid. Am I crazy for thinking this is terrifying?” 

“No, Kate. You’re absolutely right. This is serious business and no one is really acting like it. When you fly a lot, it’s kind of second nature. I’m sorry, I didn’t even think to tell you about this.”

“It’s okay, Max.”

Max patted Kate’s back. “I’m still sorry. You know, the first time I went through TSA, I had a bottle of pepper spray on a keychain that my dad had given me. I missed my flight because they made such a big deal out of it.”

“Really?!”

“Yup, they can do that. So those bastards stole my Hello Kitty pepper spray keychain and I missed my flight? Total bullshit.”

Kate giggled. “Hello Kitty? Something so cute covering a weapon?!”

“Yeah, that was the idea! I loved that thing. I cried so hard. I didn’t know what to do, and I was alone. It was the worst.” After a few moments of silence, a smile returned to Kate’s face. Max removed her hand from Kate’s back realizing it probably wasn’t necessary anymore. “Hey, are you hungry or anything?”

“Sure,” Kate said with a smile, wiping her eyes. “Thank you. I know that it’s silly of me, an adult woman…”

“No, no. It happens to the best of us. Everyone has an airport freakout at some point. Come on, let’s go relax a bit. We haven’t even gotten to the hardest part!”

_ Alright, so maybe Kate is that sweet and it’s not an act... _

* * *

Once the plane was in the air, Kate did much better. On take off, she grabbed Max’s hand and squeezed so hard, Max was sure her fingers would break. Max came prepared with gum to chew to keep their ears from popping, for which Kate was grateful. The landing was a bit rocky, but Kate survived once again by grabbing onto Max’s arm for dear life. Max laughed a bit to herself. “It’s almost over,” she said, attempting to ease Kate’s worry. 

Kate had her eyes squeezed shut. “As long as I don’t think too hard about what we’re doing, it’s not so bad.”

“That’s a pretty good life tip in general,” Max said. It made Kate laugh, and Max was very glad that she was able to provide a brief escape from reality.  _ When was the last time I thought about the fact that I’m thousands of feet in the air, placing my trust in a few people to get me somewhere? Damn… _

As they deplaned, Kate said, “Oh my gosh, I am so happy to have my feet on the ground again.”

“Try a flight that’s more than an hour and a half!” Max replied. “If you fly internationally, you feel like kissing the ground because you miss it so much.” Kate giggled once again. 

As they walked along the concourse toward baggage claim, a thought occurred to Max. She hadn’t thought about her in weeks.  _ Chloe. I wonder if she still works here.  _ As time passed, she thought less and less of the blue-haired woman. However, in the few weeks following their encounter, she thought about how beautiful she was, about the tattoo snaking down her arm, about her kindness. If she had more time, she’d love to be with a woman like that. Kind and confident. Gorgeous and sure of herself.  _ In another life, maybe.  _

“Max, I’m gonna use the restroom. Be out in a jiff!”

“You got it,” Max said distractedly. “I’ll just be over here at Henry’s.” She pointed to it, and Kate nodded. 

Max felt nervous.  _ It’s not even a big deal. She probably doesn’t remember who I am. She sees thousands of people everyday, and I’m definitely nothing special. I just want to see if she’s still here.  _

She turned the corner into the restaurant and saw it was empty save one person seated at the bar eating a sandwich. A brunette waitress she didn’t recognize appeared from the kitchen and walked behind the bar. Max’s heart sank in disappointment, and she repeated to herself once again that this didn’t matter.  _ It was a stupid thought. Just another person that lives only in my memory for now. You’ll never see her again, remember? You knew that.  _

“MAX ‘NEVER MAXINE’ CAULFIELD!”

Max jumped putting a hand to her chest. Her heart leapt from its place in her chest threatening to drop into her stomach. “Shit!” she yelled before turning her eyes on the blue-haired waitress she’d hoped to see. 

Chloe laughed maniacally as she made her way out to where Max was standing. When she got there, she seemed genuinely excited. “Max! I was wondering if I’d see that beautiful face in my bar again!” Seeing Max’s wide eyes and startled face, Chloe asked, “Oh hey, I didn’t mean to scare you. Do you remember me?”

“Oh, yeah. Hi, Chloe how are you?”

“You  _ do  _ remember me! I’m flattered.” Chloe reached out her hand for Max to shake. Max took Chloe’s hand in her own.  _ So soft. Okay, now don’t be weird.  _

Chloe let go of Max and said, “I’m so glad you came ‘round. I desperately wanted to thank you.”

“For what?” she giggled, a shyness in her voice. 

“Psssht, girl! ‘For what?’” she mocked. “It’s not too often that I get a $200 tip. Try never. Did you do it by accident?”

_ Oh right. That.  _ “No.”

“Okay, cool, because I would have to give it back.”

“No, it’s all yours. It’s for LA, like I said.”

“You’re too kind. Thank you, Max.” They smiled at each other. Chloe’s was so warm and inviting she never wanted to leave, her blue eyes drawing her in like a magnet. 

“You’re welcome, of course.” Max tucked her hair behind her ear.

Chloe’s smile only grew the longer they stared at each other. She stepped an inch or so closer. “So, are you coming or going?”

Max gulped, “W-what?” She was so close Max could smell cigarettes and laundry detergent. 

“Are you staying in Portland or are you on your way home?”

“Oh! I just got here. I—”

“Max! There you are! People are really in a hurry around here.” Kate approached the two women, bringing Max back to reality. “Oh, hello! Sorry to interrupt. Max is this a friend of yours?”

Chloe took a step back and looked between the two women apprehensively. She furrowed her brow and looked at Kate with a hard stare. “Chloe Price,” she said reaching out to shake Kate’s hand.

Kate was happy to take her hand, “Kate Marsh. I’m Max’s coworker.”

“Oh, really?” Chloe asked, easing into the handshake. “So you’re a photographer, too?”

“Oh, yes,” Kate said as she let go of Chloe’s hand. “I’m not nearly as good as Max, though. How do you two know each other?” Kate looked to Max expecting her to fill in the missing pieces. 

“Well, uh, you know, I…” several different explanations ran through her head and each one sounded more insane.  _ She was my waitress last time I was here and I gave her a huge tip because I felt like it (and she’s beautiful and for some reason I want her to be successful because she’s real and it’s rare to find someone like that).  _

“She came into the bar when she was here last time because she had a beastly delay,” Chloe explained. “We had a nice conversation, so when I saw her standing over here, I thought I’d say hey.”

_ Thank you, Chloe. Much more succinct.  _

“Aww! I remember when that happened. I’m sure you meet so many people everyday working in a place like this. It’s nice that you remember her. She must have made quite an impression.” The sly smile on Kate’s face unsettled Max, so much so that her cheeks started burning.

“Ah, Kate, you see, it’s rare to come across someone who has been so severely screwed by the airlines that is still nice to you. Max is an exceptionally kind soul,” she said with a wink at Max. After a beat Chloe continued, “I can tell you are, too.”

Kate blushed apparently lacking any immunity to Chloe’s charm. 

“Well, if you ladies have some time, how about a drink on me? Beer? Wine? Water for you, Max?” 

Max might as well have been a puddle on the floor. “W-well,” she started having found her voice somewhere, “We should really be going. We have to pick up the rental car and we have an hour or so drive…”

Chloe had already pulled out a bottle of wine and was pouring it into glasses for the two of them. Kate began walking to the bar, tempted by the refreshment, and (probably) the stunning woman providing them. 

“Oh, where are you headed?”

“Arcadia Bay,” Kate answered. “We’re doing yearbook photos tomorrow.”

“Oh, no!” Chloe’s expression fell. She looked between Max and Kate like she feared for their lives. “Max, what have you done? Did Ray... _ ask  _ for you back?”

Max nodded sadly. 

“Oh, sweet baby honey child, you come over here and drink this wine. You’re gonna need all the help you can get.”

Reluctantly, Max walked up to the bar and took the seat next to Kate. “You’ve been to Arcadia Bay, Chloe?” Kate inquired. 

“Born and raised, Kate. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you’re walking into a hell mouth.”

Kate coughed a bit as she laughed into her wine glass, “Oh, it can’t be that bad! What’s so  _ hellish  _ about it?”

“Max, back me up here!” Chloe pleaded.

Max smirked and said, “I think Chloe just hates our client, Ray Wells. He’s the principal of the academy, and I think they have some history.”

Chloe placed her hand on her chest in mock offense. “ _ I  _ was a perfectly respectable, honest child!”

Kate giggled, “Why don’t I believe you?”

Chloe sighed, “Okay fine, I was a bit of a troublemaker, but Max will tell you. Wells is actually an ass.”

Max nodded. “Can confirm.”

Kate bit her lip and looked between Chloe and Max with a grin.  _ Damn it, Kate, there is nothing to see here! Nothing! We are practically strangers! _

Surprisingly, Kate took another sip of wine and changed the subject. “Mmm, this is delicious! What is it?” 

“Moscato,” Chloe answered. “A sweet wine for a couple of sweet ladies. So Kate, is this your first time in Oregon?”

Kate took another gulp, “Yes. It’s my first time out of California, actually. That was my first flight ever.”

Stunned, Chloe rounded on Kate. “Oh shit! What? How was it? Are you okay?”

Kate shrugged. “I am now. TSA made me cry. I felt like such an idiot,” Kate divulged. “The flight was okay. I probably cut off the circulation in Max’s poor arm because I was gripping it so hard during take off and landing.” 

Chloe pouted her lips, “Oh, no. It will get easier, I promise. Those are the worst parts. Are you okay Max? I can get you some ice! Or a massage, you know, to really get the blood flowing again.”

Max nearly did a spit take. Kate laughed so hard she snorted. She continued the conversation while Max recovered. “I’m so glad Max was with me. She cheered me up and helped me. She’s so sweet.”

“See! Max is the best!” Chloe declared.

“She is!” Kate agreed.

Max blushed furiously behind her wine glass, looking anywhere but at Kate or Chloe.

“I’m sorry to cut this short, but my shift’s over and I have to go pick up my roommate. When will I see you again?”

Kate looked at Max, unsure. “Uh...Saturday morning, I think?” Kate answered. Max nodded in confirmation.

“Don’t you dare leave this airport without stopping in to see me. Kate, you hold her to it.”

Kate nodded in excitement.

“I’ll have some waffles ready for you,” Chloe said with a grin. “Have a pleasant stay, ladies.” Chloe called out to her coworker, “Andrea, anything they have is on me, understand? You’re not to accept a cent from them.”

“W-what? No, we can’t accept—” Kate started.

“I insist,” she said as she put her arms into a leather jacket. Max put her hand to her mouth to make sure she wasn’t drooling, because damn did that jacket look good. “It was nice to meet you, Kate. See you Saturday, Max. Say ‘hi’ to Ray for me!”

“Bye!” Kate called after her. Max waved and Chloe returned it and winked at her once more before leaving the bar. Max turned to see her out and totally was not staring at her ass as she went. 

Kate heaved a sigh and said, “She was fun, I liked her. She’s really pretty, too, isn’t she?”

Max drained her wine glass in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I apologize for the long wait. I had some trouble deciding where exactly I wanted to go. Once again, I have an end point with no plan on how to get there. 
> 
> This chapter, I really wanted to do Kate justice. Unfortunately, I don't know her that well, and she is someone that I want to understand better. She's a great character, and she deserves to be done right. Unfortunately, my first run through was not a great one, and I could feel it. I made Kate ridiculously childish, but Letters pointed out she's not that naive. Adder pointed out that parts of her character were exaggerated. You have them to thank for the better version of Kate. We could have had a very different story. Thank you guys!
> 
> I have much more in store for you all, and I'm excited to share it with you. Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Upon their arrival in Arcadia Bay, Max suggested they grab some food and then go to the motel to rest up for the torture they were going to endure the next day. Kate chuckled at her cynicism. “It will be okay, Max. We can help each other through it.” 

They pulled into a diner called Two Whales which Max had discovered was really the only place to eat that wasn’t fast food or a gas station. As they ate, Max could tell Kate was worn down. She picked at the remains of her meatloaf (“It’s a diner staple, so I  _ have  _ to try it!”) and yawned. 

“Why am I so exhausted? I haven’t done anything today but sit.”

“Planes do that. It’s all the stress and anticipation I think,” Max said after swallowing the last bite of her salad.

Their waitress returned to check on them, “Is there anything else I can get ya?”

“No thank you, Joyce. It was delicious, though!” Kate said. 

“Why thank you, sweetheart, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Y’all come back tomorrow after your shoot. I’ll get ya a slice of pie on me. You’ll need it after dealing with Wells.”

“Wow, he really has a reputation,” Kate said, amazed. “I’m starting to get a little nervous.”   


“He sure does, sweetheart. Put my daughter through hell when she went there. She wasn’t...very well behaved, but she wasn’t as bad as he made her out to be. And, Max, the way he treated you last time? I’m shocked you came back!” Max nodded and looked at her lap. Joyce placed the check on the table. “Take your time. Holler if ya need anything.”

“Thank you, Joyce,” Max said, smiling warmly at her.

Kate lowered her voice, noticing Joyce’s comment made her a bit uncomfortable. “What did he do last time?”

“It wasn’t anything really. He acted...very unprofessionally in my opinion. He uh...asked me out for a drink.”

“ _ What _ ?!” Kate hissed.

“Yeah. It made me really uncomfortable. When I turned him down, everything went back to being professional, however, when Mr. Jefferson said he asked for me back…”

“Ew!”

“Yeah. I’m really glad you’re with me.”

Kate beamed at Max’s comment. “I’m really glad, too.”

They paid and went to their motel room, not really saying much to each other. After a quick conversation regarding the logistics of the next day, Max and Kate settled into their own queen beds.

Max heard the turning of pages, so she glanced over at Kate to see what she was reading. Max was shocked to see it was the Bible.

_ Oooooooh, that explains a lot. Best watch what I say then.  _ That was her last thought before she finally fell asleep.

* * *

If it was possible, Max was even more tired than when she fell asleep. She felt shitty, and her back ached from the unfamiliar bed. Kate looked like her usual bright and smiley self.  _ Ugh, how does she do it? _

“I’m so excited!” she said as Max pulled their rental car into the Blackwell parking lot.

“I’m dreading it honestly. Photographing a bunch of teenagers isn’t my idea of a good time.”

“You know, I hadn’t thought about that,” Kate said. “High school was not the most pleasant time of my life, I’ll just say that. It’s going to be strange being in an environment like that again.”

Max got out of the car. “Same. It is a really weird feeling when you go in there. But soon, we will be at the Two Whales eating pie.”

“If that isn’t a motivator,” Kate giggled, slinging her camera bag over her shoulder. 

Max led her into the front door and to Wells’ office where he was already out and waiting for the two photographers. He grinned at Max as they entered. “Welcome! Miss Caulfield,” he said, offering his hand, “I’m so happy to see you again.” 

“Good to see you, Mr. Wells,” she said masking her grimace while she tried to find a good place to set down their equipment and shake his hand. 

“And you must be Miss Marsh. Mark assured me that you were an excellent photographer. I must say, your portfolio is quite impressive.” He held out his hand to Kate, and she took it in her own. 

“Thank you, sir,” she said, “It’s an absolute pleasure to be here.”

“Blackwell is one of the finest schools in America with a very vibrant history. Over the past few years, our curriculum has focused more strongly on the arts but…”

Max tuned out for the rest of the speech and tried not to laugh.  _ This is exactly what he said to me. Verbatim. Poor Kate.  _ She smirked as Kate nodded her head and smiled politely.  _ She is damn good at pretending she gives a shit. Impressive.  _

Wells eventually realized he was cutting into their setup time, and showed them to the two backdrops they had set up for their shoot. “Our maintenance man, Samuel, set these up this morning. It’s a tradition to have the school crest in the photos.”

“Perfect,” Kate replied. 

“Please let me know if I can be of assistance. The students should start filing in around 10 o’clock. The staff and I will come in afterwards.” 

“Thank you, sir.” Wells left the room with a slight bow at the two women. 

Once she felt he was far enough away, Kate said, “Man, am I glad I didn’t go to school here.”

“Told you,” Max chuckled. 

They set up their tripods and cameras to prepare for the onslaught of students while honing their impressions of Ray Wells. Kate was  _ really  _ good at it. 

As the students started filing into their room, things got out of hand pretty quickly and they could no longer talk to each other. The shoot was going pretty well for awhile, but then annoying kids started coming out of the woodwork. 

“Relax your face,” Max repeated several times to girls making duck lips. “And smile!” she said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. 

There was one kid who insisted on being photographed with his melodica, which required Max to mess with her set up. Then, another student asked nearly a thousand questions about her camera, how she became a photographer, if she had any advice, et cetera. Her patience was wearing down and fast. 

As she snapped a photo of a boy with a letterman jacket, she heard some commotion in the line of students. They were all laughing hysterically at something. From the line came several pig noises, and someone shouted, “I feel bad for the chair!”

Max dismissed the student she photographed and went around the backdrop to check on Kate. 

Kate was kneeling on the ground in front of a girl who cried silent tears.  _ Fucking asshole children.  _

“It’s okay, hon.” Kate took the girl’s hand in her own, and the girl cried harder. “It’s okay,” she repeated, placing her other hand on the girl’s shoulder. 

Max looked over at the crowd of students that had gathered. Some looked genuinely sympathetic, others continued to snicker. “Don’t listen to them. You’re absolutely beautiful!”

The girl nodded through her tears. “Let’s go to the bathroom and freshen up a bit, yeah?” The girl nodded again. “Max, can you hold down the fort for a few minutes?” 

“Absolutely.” She turned to go back to her station when someone else in the crowd started up with the taunting once again. 

“YOU KNOW WHAT?!” Kate shouted. Max jumped. 

Kate turned to the girl and grabbed her shoulders. “Let me tell you a secret,” she said, her volume way too loud to be telling a secret. “Boys like that, the ones that are cruel to you, they are going to grow up to be bald, beer-bellied nothings who can’t please their wives and can only talk about their high school glory. They are  _ nothing. _ ” This elicited a giggle from the girl. “I know it doesn’t help much now, but you have  _ everything  _ going for you and they have  _ nothing _ . I promise.” The girl nodded again. Kate led her through the crowd of students. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. 

“Next!” Max said, startling the crowd. The rest of the photoshoot went off without a hitch. 

* * *

Max heaved the tripods into the trunk, slammed it shut, and then went to start the car. Kate was seething; she hadn’t said a word to Max yet. It would be alarming if Max wasn’t so blown away by Kate’s actions. 

Once they pulled out of the parking lot, the tension in the air began to dissipate. Max heaved a giant sigh, and Kate repeated it. 

“So uuuuh…” Max started to break the silence. “How’d it go?”

Kate nearly snorted. “Heck, I don’t even know what happened in there. I’m sorry, it wasn’t very professional. Oh my...what if parents complain?! I said terrible things!”

“No, Kate. It was totally badass er…cool I mean. Very cool. I couldn’t have handled that.”

“I think I prefer badass. It doesn’t feel like it though.”

“Oh, I just didn’t want to offend you.”

“Why would I be offended? It was a compliment.”

_ Welp this is awk.  _

“I uuuuh...just saw you reading the Bible last night. I thought maybe I should be more respectful.”

“Oh! That’s sweet, Max, but you don’t have to do that. I like people to be who they are.”

“Okay. Sorry.”

“No problem,” she said with a smile. 

“Are you okay?” Max continued.

“Yeah, it just...reminded me of my own high school experience. I got made fun of a lot for my beliefs and for being quiet and nerdy. My classmates had quite a time when I started an abstinence club.” Kate covered her face with her hands. 

“Ouch, I imagine that didn’t go over well with a bunch of horny teenagers. Your heart was in the right place though.”

“No, it did not,” Kate laughed. “Thank you, Max.”

Max turned into the Two Whales parking lot. “Ready for pie?” she asked.

“I’ve never been more ready for anything,” Kate replied. 

Joyce was so happy to see them. “Max! Kate! Welcome back!” 

They sat at the counter this time. “You girls doin’ alright?” Joyce poured them each a cup of coffee without them asking. Max took the warm mug in her hands and was instantly soothed. 

“Exhausted,” Max said. 

“How can anyone stand that man enough to let him keep that job?” Kate asked. 

Joyce laughed, “Oh, well if ya have money, he knows how to suck up, but if you’re someone like us, he’s about as useless as tits on a bull.”

Kate and Max laughed hysterically, as did a couple of police officers sitting at the end of the counter eating their lunch. Max wiped a tear from her eye, “Wow. Cherry on top of my day right there.”

“I’m glad to help, hun. Now, I promised pie. I’ve got cherry, apple, peanut butter, and sweet potato.”

“Mmmm,” Kate pondered. “How about peanut butter now, and I’ll take a slice of each to take back to the motel. I don’t want to miss out.”

“You got it, girl! Excellent choice. And for you Max?”

“You know what...same for me.”

“Well, you ladies are having a party tonight. I’ll get ya both a plate and get the others packed up!”

“Thank you, Joyce!” Kate called.

Max went over to the cashier’s station while Joyce was distracted and forced the other server to take their money for all of the pie before Joyce could refuse. 

After enjoying their amazing peanut butter pie and coffee, the two women grabbed their doggie bags and waved goodbye to Joyce.

“Hey! I thought we agreed I was paying for pie!” she called out to them. 

“Not for that much pie!” Kate yelled back continuing to walk away so Joyce couldn’t stop them. 

“You girls! I’m gonna have to find out your full names so I can yell at ya properly!”

“See you next time, Joyce! Thanks for everything!”

“Have a safe flight, girls!”

* * *

Both girls laid and their beds and grunted at each other to let the other know they understood exactly what they were feeling. 

Kate was the first to speak. “Would yooooou...judge me if I ate another piece of pie?” 

“Definitely not. I was thinking the same thing, actually,” Max said, patting her belly.

Kate stood up. “Which one do you want?”

“Cherry.”

“You got it. I’m going in for sweet potato.”

“Thanks,” Max said, sitting up to receive her pie. 

“Joyce even gave us forks!” 

“I’m so glad I decided to stop there last time,” Max said around a mouthful of pie. 

“Me too!”

Things were silent for a while while they ate their pie. It was still pretty early in the day, and they had some time to kill. Max didn’t want to leave the room, though. “I don’t know about you, but I kinda want to chill in here for the rest of the night. There’s not a whole lot of sightseeing around here. You’ve seen one lighthouse, you’ve seen them all, you know?” 

“I don’t want to leave either,” Kate admitted. 

“Cool, well you can have the TV. I’m gonna watch Game of Thrones on my laptop.”

Kate swallowed her last bite of pie and looked at Max absolutely horrified.

“W-What?” Max chuckled awkwardly. 

“There’s a show? A Game of Thrones TV show?” 

“Yeah,” Max answered, perplexed.

“WHAT?!” Kate roared. 

Max threw her hands up to protect her face in case Kate decided to attack her. 

“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe…I LOVE Game of Thrones!”

Max started to relax a bit but was still a bit shaken. “How do you not know about the TV show?”

“I...I don’t know I guess I don’t watch much TV. And, well, me liking the books was something I had to keep from my parents. If they knew, I’d have been paddled.”

“I’m sorry, paddled?”

In her excitement, Kate had forgotten herself, so she looked at the floor in shame. “Y-yeah, it’s a wooden board with holes in it. My parents would paddle my sisters and I when we misbehaved. Them finding out I was reading something filled with sex, extreme violence...even the fantasy aspect,” she shook her head. 

“Shit.” Max didn’t know what else to say. “Sorry” didn’t seem right. 

“Yeah.”

They were silent again for a time. Max plucked up her courage to break it. “You...want to watch it with me maybe? I’m sure I have an HDMI cable somewhere. We can hook it up to the TV. I’ll start at the beginning because even if you’ve read the books it’s all over the place.”

“Yes!” Kate clapped with excitement. “The day keeps getting better.”

Max smiled as she dug around in her laptop case trying to find the right cord. “Hey, Kate?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m really sorry I was so standoffish with you before. I’m not very good at being a friend and well…I thought you might be...like Victoria.”

Kate smiled warmly, “I thought something was going on but I didn’t want to push you. I’m glad you changed your mind.”

“Definitely. You haven’t stopped surprising me this entire trip. You’re really cool. Let’s just call it LA disillusionment.” 

Kate smiled the prettiest smile at her. “You’re really cool, too.”

* * *

They stayed up WAY too late. When Max shut down her laptop and put it away, they had to leave for Portland in four hours. 

Kate slept most of the way to the airport, so the drive was quiet except for the sound of Max chugging coffee. She shook Kate awake as they approached the airport. “Sorry I fell asleep,” she yawned, “I know you’re just as tired as me.” 

“No big deal,” she said with a yawn of her own. 

They got through TSA without any tears this time, which Kate was very proud of. As they gathered their things at the end of the conveyor, Kate gasped.

“What?” Max asked, alarmed. “Please tell me you didn’t forget something at the hotel.”

Kate grinned, “Noooooope,” she said. “Guess who we get to see today!”

Dread, excitement, and anticipation flooded Max’s body. “O-oh yeah. I’m not really hungry, though. We shouldn’t bother her.”

Exasperatedly, Kate grabbed her carry-on bag. “We promised we would! I don’t like breaking promises. Come on!” 

Max followed reluctantly, “But…”

Kate stopped, grabbed Max’s hand and pulled her to a nearby bench. Several people huffed at them as they disrupted the flow. 

“Tell me honestly,” she started, “Is there a reason you don’t want to see her? Is there a history I don’t know about?”

“Oh no,” Max shook her head. “It’s nothing like that, I just...I did something when I got delayed here.”

“Something…” Kate prodded. 

“You see...it sounds insane. I...I got delayed, and walked into Henry’s. Chloe and I had a nice conversation, and before I left, I didn’t really say bye. I just left a bunch of money under a note for her. See, she said her and her roommate are trying to move to LA and I w-wanted to help.”

Kate’s brow furrowed. “And this makes you not want to visit her because…?”

“I kinda left her A LOT of money. All the cash I had.”

“Wow,” Kate responded. 

“So I don’t know, I’m worried that she feels like she owes me, and that’s not what I wanted. I didn’t think I’d ever see her again.”

“Aaaaand you also find her very attractive and charming, and that scares you.”

Max’s eyes widened so much they threatened to pop out of her skull. “W-What? Nonono. WHAT? No.”

“I guess I ripped the bandaid off a little too quickly,” Kate giggled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

“Y-you see, the thing is that I…” she didn’t have an ending to the sentence. She had no idea what to say. 

“Am I wrong?”

Max bit her lip and shook her head. 

“Were you worried that I’d judge you?”

Max took a deep breath. Unable to look Kate in the eye, she looked at her lap. “Yes, and I’m even judging myself! Where did this come from? I’ve never been with anyone, and she’s the first person I’ve ever been attracted to.”

“It’s okay, Max. I would never judge you for that.” Kate patted her back trying to comfort her. 

Max could barely focus on Kate’s words as her mind began spiraling out of control, her words an endless stream of anxiety. “I don’t even know her, and I’ve been ogling her since she walked into my line of sight. And I left her that money! What if she feels like she owes me s...am I a predatory lesbian?! Oh my god!” She looked up at Kate, her eyes wide with panic and started another line of self-hatred. 

“MAX!” Kate nearly shouted. A few people looked up from their phones and tablets to stare. The volume and forcefulness Kate used was enough to get Max to stop rambling. 

“You’re right. You don’t know her. Not yet. But you will because we are going to go and have breakfast with her. I can guarantee you that she doesn’t think any of those things. If you like her, there’s no harm in letting her know.”

_ But there is. It makes no sense for me to start a relationship, even a friendly one, with a woman that lives in a different state. I can’t even keep friends where I live! _

“Come on, let’s go get something to eat. Oh, and no more coffee today. I’m cutting you off.”

Max laughed a bit at that. “Sorry, I lost it for a second,” Max said, running a hand through her hair. 

“It’s okay!” She grabbed Max’s hand and pulled her off of the bench. “Come on. It’s just breakfast. I’ll make sure to tell you if you start acting like a ‘predatory lesbian,’” she chuckled. 

Max’s cheeks ignited with embarrassment.  _ If there is a higher power, please feel free to strike me down at any time.  _

* * *

The first thing they saw when they walked into Henry’s was Rick sitting at the end of the bar, probably nursing a club soda. As they took their seats, Chloe burst out from the kitchen doors, causing the doors to slam against the wall. “For someone who always bitches about not having money, he sure as hell calls off a lot!” There was a muffled response from the back they couldn’t hear. 

“Yeah, well fuck him, Mike!”

Chloe wiped her hands on her apron and let out a frustrated, “Damn it.” When she looked up, her expression changed rapidly to a radiant smile. “Oh hey!”

Max waved at her nervously. Kate replied, “Hey!”

She sidled up to their place at the bar and said, “Sorry. I didn’t know anyone else was here. Rick is used to my swearing.”

“A-are you okay?” Max piped up. 

“Yeah, just this douchebag that works here is constantly calling off, and I’m always the one that has to fill in. I’m gonna be here until close tonight.”

“Oh my, that’s awful,” Kate said.

“Eh, I’ll be alright. I do it all the time. Enough about me! How was your trip to the bay?!”

Kate looked at Max to begin the conversation but a look from Max told Kate she should take the lead. “Oh, well, the school photoshoot was…fine. Kids can be so terrible, let me tell you.”

“Ugh, I bet,” Chloe agreed. 

“The number of times I had to tell them to stop posing like they were in selfies…” Kate made a strangling motion with her hands.

Chloe laughed, “Easy, girl!”

“Oh, I’d never, but you know I—“

Max finally thought of something to say and blurted it out interrupting Kate. “Kate basically told off a high school jock and it was super epic.” She said it like she was an infomercial salesman. It was like her brain decided that’s the voice someone uses when they’re excited.  _ What the fuck was that?! When did you lose control of inflection? You’re not trying to sell her fucking Flex Tape! _

Chloe raised an eyebrow at her and then looked at Kate like Max had just spoken a foreign language. Kate held back a laugh and powered through to say, “Sorry, Max has had a little too much coffee today.”

“Heh, that’s okay. You doin’ alright there, Maxi?”

Her cheeks were hotter than the surface of the sun. “Y-yup.”

“Let me get you both some ice water and then you can tell me about the asshole jock.” 

With Chloe out of earshot, Kate grabbed Max’s arm. “Are you okay, or did I just witness you having a stroke?”

“I-I don’t know.” Max put her elbows in the bar and rested her head on her hands.

“Just be you, Max! I don’t want to work to convince her you’re not a robot!”

“Right, okay.” 

Chloe returned with a couple of waters. She put out coasters on the bar and placed them in front of the two women. “Have a sip, and then tell me what Kate did.”

Max did as instructed, and said, “She uh...she was photographing this girl who was getting made fun of by some assholes in line. They were making pig noises and calling her fat basically. Kate told the girl that those jerks would never amount to anything or be able to pleasure their wives.”

Chloe’s jaw dropped, “Wwwwwhat?!” 

“Not my finest moment,” Kate admitted, “But they needed to hear it.”

“That they did,” Chloe said. “You’re not wrong either. The poor women that they are with will never experience an orgasm. Best to bat for the same team.”

Max choked on her water at the comment. Kate smoothly replied, “Unfortunately, I wouldn’t know much about that. I’ve decided to remain abstinent, but I’m open to the possibility of being in love with anyone.”

“That’s a good way to be,” Chloe said, smiling gently. “What about you, Max?”

“Oh goodness!” Kate exclaimed. She pulled out her phone and looked at it. “Gotta take this call. Be right back!” Kate winked at Max as she darted away. 

_ Lies! The audacity! _

“Oh, okay,” Chloe said in response, a bit surprised by Kate’s sudden departure. 

_ The unmitigated gall! She’s leaving me here with this HEAVY question and the most desirable woman on this planet?!  _

“So, what say you, m’lady?” Chloe said with a grin. 

“Oh ummm. I’m uh…” 

_ Say words. It doesn’t even have to be full sentences, just words.  _

“I’m not sure. I..uhh I’ve never...like dated.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Chloe asked, genuinely surprised. “You’ve never dated anyone?”

Max shook her head beginning to feel ashamed.  _ Great, she probably thinks there’s something wrong with me.  _

“Wow. Max, I can’t believe that someone as cute as you hasn’t been snatched up.” 

She looked down at the bar, her cheeks continuing to burn. She tucked her hair behind her ear and braved a glance at Chloe who was beaming at her. Then, Chloe winked forcing Max to drop her gaze back to the bar. 

“You doin’ okay down there, Rick?” she called out, giving Max a break. 

He raised his glass in response. 

“I’ve embarrassed you enough, I think. Tell me, did you get a school picture of our pal Ray?”

Relieved at the change in subject, Max replied, “Yes I did. Kate does a mighty good impression of him by the way. You should see it.”

“Ha! Cool. I’ll ask her when she comes back. But, um. Can you show me the picture you got? I could use a good laugh.” 

Max pondered that for a moment. It wasn’t very professional, but what the hell. She pulled out her phone and opened her Google drive where she had made a back up. “I actually have a few photos of him.” 

She watched as Chloe practically skipped around the bar. She tried not to pay attention to  _ certain aspects  _ of her body as she approached, but then those  _ certain aspects  _ were pressed up against her shoulder as she flipped through photos trying to find the one she took of Wells. 

Her breathing hitched, and they briefly made eye contact. Chloe  _ knew  _ what Max was thinking, but she didn’t move. They didn’t mention it. Max found several photos she had taken of Wells, some of them not at all flattering. “Oh my goooddd,” Chloe squealed. “You have no idea how much I would have paid for these in high school. Wait, that one! Can you send it to me, Max, please pleeeeeease?” The picture was of Ray Wells, mid sentence with half-lidded eyes. He was talking so much Max barely got a photo. 

Max giggled, “I r-really shouldn’t.”

Chloe removed herself from Max’s shoulder to get down on her knees to beg. She clasped her hands together, and said, “Max Caulfield, I promise you that I won’t use that picture for anything other than my own personal entertainment. Okay, maybe Rachel’s too. Please, please, pleeeeeeease!”

_ How is this actually working on me? _

Max sighed, “Fine, fine.”

“Yes! Give me your phone, and I’ll give you my number.” 

Max handed over her phone, shaking her head in disbelief. Chloe smirked shamelessly as she got into Max’s contacts and added herself. She handed the phone back to Max who then sent the photo off to Chloe. 

“You’re the best.”

Max shook her head, grinning. 

“Hey, I’m back. Sorry about that.”

_ Yeah, yeah. Save it.  _ Max scowled as Kate returned to her seat.

“Everything okay?” Chloe asked. 

“Yeah, my mom was just checking on me. Anyways, how about some waffles? I’m starving!”

Chloe jumped into action, “Oh, right, I’m at work. Coming right up, ladies!” She walked off to enter their orders into the computer. 

“Sooo? How’d it go?”

Max pursed her lips. “Fine. No thanks to you!”

Kate didn’t even bother denying it. “Well, you got her phone number at least.” 

Max nodded, Kate nodded back. 

When the realization of what that meant dawned on her, she was on the plane back to LA. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Nice to see you again. 
> 
> I realized when I logged in to AO3 today that I've not been very good about responding to your comments. I have read them all, and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far. I promise to be more responsive in the future. 
> 
> A little "behind the scenes" for you: I do a lot of writing on my phone because sometimes I'd rather lay down than sit at a desk like I do all day at work. My autocorrect is incredibly frustrating, as I'm sure that many of you have experienced in your life. I caught the typo and fixed it, but apparently it corrected it back. I wanted to share with you all that Kate almost "farted away" instead of "darted away" at the end there. That's a story changer. I'm a goddamned child. 
> 
> Now that Max has Chloe's number, hopefully they will be speaking with each other more frequently. (They will be.)
> 
> More characters and back stories to come!! By the way, do yourself a favor and go eat some pie.


	4. Chapter 4

Max chewed on her fingernails as she stared out of the bus window.  _ What the hell? When did I start doing that?  _ She stopped and rubbed her hands on her pants only to return her fingers to her mouth a few seconds later. She’d hoped to hear from Chloe over the weekend, but unfortunately Chloe didn’t contact her.  _ Is she waiting for me? Maybe I should do it,  _ she thought. 

She pulled out her phone and opened her text messages, the horrible photo of Wells greeted her as Chloe was the last person she texted. While she pondered how she would even begin that conversation, worry about another problem began weaving its way through her brain. 

Her shoulders tensed. She was on her way to the University of California Los Angeles for the fourth time this month to work with their engineers on aerial photography methods, namely drone aviation. 

Learning how to fly a drone made Max feel like a total badass, but…

But...

Warren Graham. 

Warren Graham, an engineering professor and researcher at UCLA, had a _thing _for Max. The first time she’d come to the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, she was greeted by the smiling face of Warren Graham. He had that wispy hair that she used to find attractive as a teenager but a really well-trimmed five o’clock shadow that gave him the ruggedly handsome professor look. He was kind, helpful, and admittedly an excellent teacher. At the end of the first day of lessons, he’d asked her out for a drink. Max politely declined as she wasn’t much of a drinker and also _WHAT THE FUCK_. She couldn’t recall ever being asked out by a guy before. She wasn’t even sure if he meant to ask her out romantically.

That was until after her second lesson when he asked her to dinner and a movie at the drive-in. She declined once again, so Warren sent her a very embarrassing bouquet of roses to Chiaroscuro. The only good thing to come of that was the look on Victoria’s face when she realized the flowers weren’t for her. 

Max knew she was not mistaken. Warren was interested in her romantically, but she had absolutely no desire to begin a relationship with him. She even thought something was wrong with her because why shouldn’t she be attracted to him? He’s smart, good looking...has tenure. He’d be a perfect companion, yet she felt nothing.  _ Surely I can get over it and give it a try, right? My mom would be pleased. _

So she did. After their third lesson together, Max took him up on his offer. They went to dinner at a fancy restaurant called République, and Max knew that even with his salary a $45 entree was too expensive and more than either of them should be paying for a meal. The conversation was a bit awkward as she expected. Warren explained in depth the research he had been doing at work, some work politics garbage, and then went on to talk about his interests. Max wasn’t surprised that some of their interests were very similar, which was great, but it was like he had an overwhelming need to fill every moment of silence. When she would think of a question to ask, he’d already be on the next topic. Needless to say, she didn’t get a word in the whole night. When, at long last, the meal was over she offered to pay for her order, but Warren demanded he pay for everything.

He then insisted on driving her home, much to Max’s disappointment. She desperately needed to decompress from the dinner conversation, and she  _ really _ didn’t want him to know where she lived. She thanked him and, as an excuse, said that she would rather take the bus because she needed to stop at the pharmacy on the way home. He seemed to understand and walked to her to the bus stop. He waited there with her for the bus and fidgeted, still filling the void with endless words. 

As the bus approached and relief started settling into Max’s body, Warren grabbed her arm, turned her around, and smashed his lips to hers. Shocked, Max pulled away from him, and was almost in tears by the time she was able to utter, “I just want to be friends.” She got on the bus and cried, trying to forget the way he tasted.

That had been their last interaction about a week and a half ago. Max finally stopped biting her nails when she tasted blood in her mouth. She put her phone in her pocket, forgetting that she had planned on sending a text to Chloe. 

* * *

  
It was like nothing had ever happened. 

“Excellent job, Max! Now hover over that sculpture in the quad and take a photo.” Max did as instructed and managed to keep good control of the drone.

“Perfect,” he said. “Now fly it back to us, and we’ll be done.”

She began the process of turning the drone around when she felt hands on her waist. When she tried to pull away, Warren held her tighter and pressed her back into his body. He brought his hands up to hers and rested his chin on her shoulder. He began assisting her with the controls as Max’s body shook. Warren pressed his nose into her hair and took a deep breath.

_ Did he just sniff me? Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck I need to get out of here. I’m leaving. _

She struggled against him to get free as his hold on her tightened. He landed the drone perfectly in front of them. 

“Let me try again, Max. I’ll take you out again, and it will be better.” At last, he let Max go. She rubbed her arms nervously as she rushed back to his office to get her bag without saying a word.

Warren followed close behind. “I messed up, but we would be perfect together. Don’t you see that?!”

She threw open his office door, grabbed her bag from his chair, and went to leave. Warren was blocking the door.

“Max, wait, please. I’m sorry, okay? You make me feel so...so crazy. I was so nervous, and I thought that’s what you’re supposed to do at the end of a date.”

Max took a deep breath and raised her shaking hands a bit to hold him off in case he came at her. “W-Warren, we can be friends, and that’s all. I’m not interested, okay?”

Defeated, his head dropped to his chest. “I think it’s a mistake. You and I could really be something, you know?”

“No, I don’t.” Max shoved past him and into the hallway toward the building’s exit. 

“I’ll never stop trying. I know we are meant to be together!” he called after her.

* * *

  
Max sobbed during the entire bus ride home while she tried to ignore the stares of the other passengers. She fumbled with her keys at the front door and dropped them on the ground. “FUCK!” she shouted into the air.

She got the door open and slammed it closed in frustration. She threw herself onto her bed and cried harder. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, so she pulled it out fulling expecting it to be her mom calling. She almost threw her phone across the room when she saw “New Text Message” displayed on her phone.

_ No way… _

She opened it.

**Chloe Price: **

**  
**

**[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/184769390@N06/49129911106/in/dateposted-public/) **

****  
  


****

The sound of Max’s laughter echoed through her empty apartment.

**Chloe: ** 420 get high

**Chloe: ** Fuck you you’re childish!

**Chloe:** Thought I’d beat you to it

**Chloe: ** You laughed

**Chloe: ** Don’t lie to me Max

All of her texts came in quick succession which only made Max laugh harder through her tears. She bit her lip trying to think of how to respond.  _ I’m going insane.  _

**Max: ** I can’t stop laughing actually

**Max:** Thank you. I needed that.

**Max:** My boss should hire you. That editing...

**Chloe:** Bad day?

**Chloe: ** My editing is kickass? BB I KNOW

Max chuckled. The stress of the day began melting away.

**Max:** Yeah it’s nothing. I’m home now. 

**Chloe:** What happened?

**Chloe: ** No judging I promise

**Max:** How did you even do that?

**Chloe:** On Paint. Duh. Don’t change the subject Caulfield. You okay?

**Max:** Yeah, just some guy being a jerk

**Chloe:** Explain

**Chloe:** Now

**Chloe:** Uh please

Max giggled again.

**Max:** It’s kind of a long story

**Chloe:** Yo I literally just sent you a pic of my ex-principal with poorly drawn weed shit all over it. I’ve got time. Spill!

Max sighed and began typing. She meant to only tell her about today, but she kept asking for more details, so she started from the beginning. There was never a lull in conversation. Chloe responded promptly, and Max found it very sweet.

**Chloe:** That sick fuck

**Chloe:** I’ll kick his fucking ass wtf

**Max:** It’s ok

**Chloe:** No it’s most definitely not ok

**Chloe:** You don’t deserve to be treated that way. You did the right thing by getting out of there. Did you tell your boss?

**Max:** No I haven’t. I think that the lessons are done though.

**Chloe:** Good

**Chloe:** I’m so sorry

**Chloe:** Men are really disgusting. If anything happens you can always tell me ok?

**Max: ** Ok.

**Max:** How was your day btw? We’ve talked too much about me.

**Chloe:** You say that like it’s a bad thing. I want to know more about you.

_ She does? _

**Max: ** You do?

**Chloe:** Yeah! The cutest girl ever walks into my bar, I need all the deets.

She relieved Max from responding by sending another quick message.

**Chloe:** My day was fine. Gave Rick a seltzer, fought with my boss, picked up Rachel, now I’m home talking to you. A great way to end the day tbh. 

**Max:** For me too.

Max waited anxiously for the next message. She thought for a moment that Chloe was done speaking with her for now. She sat up on her bed.  _ I guess I should get on with the routine then.  _

**Chloe: ** Wanna play a game?

**Max: ** What kind of game?

**Chloe: ** Well you want to get to know me and I want to get to know you, so how about 21 questions? We take turns asking each other questions. If you don’t want to answer, the asker gets to ask another question. Deal?

_ Uuuummmm. I don’t know. Is this really a good idea?  _

_ Probably not. _

_ Do you want to? _

_ Yes. _

_ But why? _

_ You’re supposed to be asking  _ her  _ questions, you know?  _

_ Getting involved could be dangerous. And painful. She couldn’t possibly be like Warren could she? _

_ No, you’re actually interested her, and she just said herself she’s interested in you.  _

_ The flirting...she flirts with you. _

_ She’s not going to be like that. Not like Warren. Not like Wells.  _

**Chloe: ** Hey we don’t have to if you’re not comfortable. 

**Chloe: ** Totally up to you. 

_ See. Not like them at all.  _

**Max: ** Ok. Only one tonight though. It’s getting really late :/

**Chloe: ** Deal. 

**Chloe: ** You’re right. Shit where did the time go?

**Chloe: ** I think since it was my idea I get to go first. 

_ Gulp.  _

**Max: ** ok

**Chloe: ** Why did you leave me that tip

_ Fuck! _

Max typed out several different responses over the next few minutes, all of them inadequate. 

**Chloe: ** I see you deleting! Come on!

Max seriously considered passing on the question. All of her reasons sounded stupid. 

**Max: ** I’m sorry. 

**Chloe: ** No don’t be sorry!

**Max: ** I don’t know. You were telling me about getting to LA and I know how hard that is. I wanted to do something for you. I can’t explain. It’s what I wanted to do at the time. 

It took a few moments for Chloe to respond. 

**Chloe: ** I believe you. I don’t know why but I do. 

**Chloe: ** No one has ever done anything like that for me before. I figured it was a mistake and when you said it wasn’t I still couldn’t make sense of it. Why would you do something that nice?

**Chloe: ** It’s weird. Can I do something for you?

**Max: ** No! No strings attached. That’s not why I did it. 

**Chloe: ** Ok. 

**Chloe: ** Good people exist? I never would’ve believed. 

**Max:** I’m not a good person. I gotta go. It’s really late. We can talk again tomorrow.

**Max: ** If you want to

**Max:** Maybe. You don’t have to. 

**Chloe:** Sure thing. I’ll be here! I won’t pass up on the opportunity to talk to such a good person. 

Max decided not to argue but shifted with discomfort to try and prove her wrong.  _ Really, Chloe, I’m terrible.  _

**Max:** Great _ Should I...flirt back a bit maybe?  _

**Max:** Goodnight ;)

**Chloe:** Did you just...winky face me?

Max gulped.  _ Shit, I fucked up. _

**Max: ** Yes

**Max:** Sorry

**Chloe:** I fuckin hate emojis, but I think you just flirted so I’ll take it.

**Chloe:** Goodnight to you too cutie

Max’s heart skipped a beat. She almost responded, but she decided she would try and play it “cool.” She plugged her phone into the charger, and got up to complete her nightly routine as quickly as she could. When she made it to bed, she struggled with sleeping. All she could think about was Chloe.  
  


* * *

“You’re smiling!” Kate exclaimed. She’d stopped in front of Max’s cubical when she saw her expression. “What happened?”

“Shut up!” Max scolded jokingly. 

Kate lowered her voice to a whisper. “What did  _ you _ do last night hm?”

“Nothing,” Max responded. “How was your night?”

“Mmhmm,” Kate said through pursed lips. “You talked with Chloe last night didn’t you?” Kate asked, ignoring Max completely. 

The mention of her name created a smile so radiant, Kate already knew the answer. “What did you talk about?”

“I don’t know! Things! And stuff!”

“Mmhmm.”

“Actually, can I ask for your help with something?”

“Of course!”

“Chloe and I are playing a game. 21 Questions. I need to think of a question to ask her tonight.”

Kate heaved a giant sigh. “Seriously, Max?”

“Uh...yes? I don’t know what to ask.”

“Or how to have a normal conversation with a human being?”

Max’s smile fell. “I’m not talking to you anymore.”

“What?! No! I’m sorry for giving you a hard time, I’m sorry.”

“Mmm,” Max grunted. 

“I’m really surprised, though. Aren’t you curious about her?”

“Y-yeah.”

“When you look at her, what’s the first thing you notice?”

_ Her alabaster skin, her gorgeous tattoo, her brilliant smile… _

“Probably her blue hair,” Max replied, half dazed. 

“Okay! Why is her hair blue?” Kate queried. 

“I don’t know.” 

“Exactly. Perfect conversation starter. Or what about her tattoo design? You know where she grew up, but you could ask her more about what it was like! Stuff like that.” Kate patted Max’s arm gently. “You’ve got this.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Max practically whispered.

“It is!”

“Try it when your mind's going a million miles a minute trying to process that you’re talking to a pretty girl and she’s talking back,” Max argued.

“That’s fair. I’ve never experienced that myself, but just try and remember how curious she makes you. If you get stuck, just ask her the same question she asked you.”

“Good idea,” Max said. At that moment, Victoria Chase walked by her cubicle, unnecessarily shoving Kate from where she stood.”

“Ow!”

“Sorry, didn’t see you there,” Victoria said with a shit-eating grin. She then turned to Max and said, “I couldn’t help but overhear that you have a crush, Maxine. You want my advice?”

“No, actually,” Max replied with an eyeroll. 

“Oh please, you’re such a baby gay. I’ve heard enough of this elementary shit. You  _ clearly  _ need help if you’re asking the Bible thumper over here.”

Max’s anger flared at that. She started to defend Kate when Victoria interrupted her. “If you really like her that much, you should pretend you hate her. Women love that.”

“Does that work well for you, Victoria?” Max asked, seething. 

“It does. Kate, get the hell out of my way.” Victoria shoved past Kate, her hips swaying and her heels clacking on the tile. 

Kate watched as she walked. “Wow, she’s the worst.”

* * *

  
Max plopped onto her bed upon returning home and heaved a giant sigh. 

_ Okay, what do you want to know about her? Maybe make a list before you get too carried away. _

She grabbed a pen and paper from her bedside and began writing out some questions.  _ A great thing for when my mind inevitably blanks.  _

As she scribbled down her ideas, her phone began vibrating in her pocket.  _ Shit, I guess it’s that time.  _

She answered her phone, “Hey, momma.”

“Well that’s not my favorite nickname, but I won’t yuck your yum,” Chloe said with a snicker. 

Max’s eyes bulged. In a panic, she yelped and hung up the phone, and threw it away from her like it was going to bite her ear off it was there another second. 

“SHIT!” she yelled as she hopped up to retrieve her phone. “Shit what did you do?! Now she’s going to think you hate her.”

The phone began vibrating once more, Chloe’s name visible on the screen.  _ Deep breaths. You’re cool, you’re good. Smooooooth.  _

“H-heyello.”  _ Damnit! _

“Heyello to you, too. Is this okay? Sorry if I caught you at a bad time or you don’t like talking on the phone or whatever.”

“NO!”  _ Volume check.  _ “No, my mom, she uh usually calls at this time and I figured it would be her and I’m so sorry for being weird.”

“Are you sure? Texting is cool or whatever but this is so much easier. Especially for questions. You can’t edit them this way,” Chloe said deviously. 

“Hey! I told you the truth! Eventually!” Max insisted. 

“Okay, but if I typed everything I wanted to type, my fingers would fall off. And maybe I like your voice. Maybe I want to hear it.” Max could hear the beautiful smirk in her voice. 

“It’s...nice to...heh I’m glad you called. Sorry about…”

“It’s no problem, momma,” Chloe deadpanned. 

“Oh dog, noooo,” Max whined, “I’m never gonna live that down am I?

“No chance in hell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone would like to commission me for my absolutely FABULOUS art work, just let me know.
> 
> Honestly, I still can't believe I spent time doing that.
> 
> I'm sorry to any Warren fans out there. I know that they exist, but I've never met one. In game he creeps me out a bit but he's not too bad. Once again, I'm cranking up the dial a bit. It was hard for me to even edit it. Sorry to Letters and Adder, who are amazing for going through all the iterations of this story that exist. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

By now the two women had far surpassed 21 questions, but over the past few days it had become a nightly routine. Chloe would call sometime in the evening, they would briefly discuss how their days were, and then whoever’s turn it was to ask started out a topic for the night. To Max, it wasn’t even the least bit taxing. Everything seemed to flow well, and it was never awkward or dull. Max couldn’t recall a single person she liked talking on the phone with in her entire life.

Tonight, Chloe called and Max answered it on the first ring. “H-hey!”

“Hey, are you sure you’re good with talking tonight? I know you have better things to do than talk with me.”

“No! I enjoy talking with you.”

“I  _ enjoy _ talking with you too, dork. You sure you don’t have important photography things you need to do?”

Chloe pressing the issue made Max worry that maybe she didn’t want to be on the phone and was trying to get Max to say it first. “I don’t, but if you don’t want to talk on the phone, you didn’t have to call.” It came out more bitterly than she had intended.

Chloe had clearly picked up on the message. “Whoa, hey, no it’s not like that. Honestly. Sorry.”

Max responded with silence. She felt so ashamed of herself, mostly that she had snapped at Chloe.  _ This is where it stops. She doesn’t like me. We’ll hang up the phone and never talk again.  _

Chloe sighed, “Wow. Um, hi, I’m Chloe Price and I’m a fuck up.”

Max giggled. “You’re not a fuck up, I’m a fuck up.”

“No, I started us off on the wrong foot. I’m always so surprised when you pick up the phone.”

“Surprised?” Max asked, confused.

“Yeah. We’ve spent a lot of time on here the past couple of days and that’s just...okay? Aren’t you like...an adult and shit?”

Max sensed there was more to it than that but didn’t want to press Chloe on it anymore. She had already made her uncomfortable. “Ha! No. Definitely not. I have no idea what I’m doing. Plus, you’re way more adult than me.”

“No way, José. I have exactly  _ shit _ figured out,” Chloe retorted.

“It doesn’t look like it to me! Your hair, your tattoo, everything about you screams confidence. You’re so damned beautiful, I can’t even put it into words. You make conversations seem easy. You can talk with literally anyone, even a bumbling mess like me. You know who you are, and you aren’t afraid to show it to anyone,” Max blurted out. Embarrassment began to set in as her mind caught up with itself.

There was a pause that lasted approximately 10,000 years before Chloe responded. “Heheh, o-oh yeah? Well what about you Miss I-Have-A-Big-Girl-Job?! You travel around in your adult clothes, making enough money to tip waitresses an absurd amount, AND you have an actual skill! A skill that people give a shit about! You’re smart as hell, and if we are giving out compliments on looks, have you by chance passed by a mirror lately? You have me beat in that department, girlfriend.”

Max let out the breath she was holding and began mumbling incoherently, unable to get her mouth to form words.

“Shit, I broke her!” Chloe laughed maniacally. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yes,” Max replied with a gulp. “I d-don’t think anything that you said was true.”

“Same, but here we are.”

“Mmm.” Max didn’t know what to say.

“Guess I’ll just have to spend my life convincing you you’re perfect.”

Max’s heart fluttered. “M-me too!”

Chloe chuckled lightly. “I’m sorry again. About earlier. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that you’re doing this willingly. That you actually want to be wasting your time talking to me. I try to give you an out, but you never take them. I’m not trying to signal to you that  _ I  _ don’t want to be doing this. I definitely do.”

“I understand. I feel like that all the time. Like I’m an imposter and don’t belong anywhere. That no one wants to exist around me.”

“Shit. Exactly,” Chloe agreed.

“I h-have an idea,” Max began nervously. “Let’s make a pact right now that we will be straightforward with each other about these things. I want you to tell me what’s on your mind, and the last thing I want is for you to feel like you have to walk on eggshells around me. You can always tell me what’s on your mind.”

Chloe huffed in disbelief. “Okay. It’s a deal, Max Caulfield. How would you like to make that official? Written contract? Blood? Spit? Kiss? Totally up to you.”

Max’s face felt hot and her breath was caught in her throat. After a few moments she replied, “I-I dunno.”

“Tsk, tsk. Already breaking the pact,” Chloe laughed.

* * *

  
Max sat at her desk, editing a photo and humming a tune. The tune wasn’t a familiar one; she hummed what she felt.

The photo she was working on required some retouching, and she thought blurring the background might make the photo pop. As she settled into her editing (and humming) a rubber band collided with her cheek, literally snapping her out of the zone.

“Ow!” she yelled, swiveling in her chair to see Victoria standing by her cubicle with a smug look. 

“Mark called an emergency meeting in the staff room. Quit the incessant humming and move your ass, Lamefield.”

Max rubbed her cheek and glared at Victoria. Victoria grinned back and practically skipped down the hall to the staff room.  _ One day, Victoria. One of these days, you’ll get yours. _

Max grabbed a notepad and pen from her desk and slammed the drawer closed.  _ Sorry, desk. It’s not your fault. Deep breath. You should get your act together and be professional. _

Max took a deep breath and walked down the hall to the staff room. When she entered the room, everyone was there except for Dana and Mr. Jefferson. Kate waved at her and pointed at the chair next to her. On the other side of Kate sat Victoria with a very smug and satisfied look.  _ Bitch. _

Relieved she wouldn’t have to awkwardly sit next to another coworker, Max made her way to the chair next to Kate. Kate’s smile turned to concern when Max sat down.“What happened to your cheek?” she asked.

Max rubbed at the spot again and felt a welt there. “Yeah, I’m fine. Victoria hit me with a rubber band to get me down here.”

Appalled, Kate turned to Victoria and snapped. “Do you always have to be so rude?”

The smirk on Victoria’s face faded. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, not bothering to answer the question. 

“Grow up, Victoria,” Kate hissed. 

“Hello, everyone!” Jefferson shouted as he entered with Dana following close behind. “Thank you Victoria for getting everyone together for this impromptu meeting.” He took his seat at the head of the table, and Dana sat next to him with her pen at the ready in case she was given any instructions. 

“As you all know, the ImageX trade show is in Portland next Thursday. We have a booth ready to go, but we are suddenly without a staff member to attend.” Everyone in the room looked around for Stella, the person chosen to attend. 

“Stella is still working for us, but she is no longer able to attend,” Jefferson continued. “She is...visibly pregnant, and that is not the kind of image I want to present. I want to show potential partners and clients that we are young, eager...unburdened.”

_ Are you fucking kidding me,  _ Max seethed.  _ What a vile douchebag. Stella was really looking forward to that.  _

“I called you here today to ask for a volunteer to take Stella’s place.” The tension felt thick in the room. “It’s short notice, I know. I’d rather not choose, but I will if I have to.”

Max’s arm shot into the air of its own volition before she even gave it a thought. Kate smirked at her knowingly. Jefferson raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Max, you just came back from Oregon last weekend, did you not?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm and your work ethic. If you’re sure, I’ll have Dana make the arrangements.”

“Yes, sir. I will go.”

“Well, thank you for making that easier than I thought it would be. Max, you stay here so I can brief you on the trade show. Everyone else, you’re dismissed.”

Kate stood up but leaned in to whisper in Max’s ear. “Truly astounding work ethic,” she teased. Max shoved her away as Kate began to giggle. 

* * *

  
“There’s something you’re not telling me, Maxine,” Vanessa chided. “You haven’t returned my calls in forever.”

“I’ve been busy,” Max explained.

“Too busy to speak to your own mother? Not so much as an ‘I love you’ in those brief texts you’ve sent me. What have you been up to?”

Max sighed in annoyance. “Nothing,  _ mother _ . Just work.”

“If everything was the same you would have been answering my calls!”

“Ugh, fine! God, mom. I made a friend, okay? I just didn’t want you making a big deal out of it like you are right now.”

“It wouldn’t have been a big deal if you would have told me when I asked!” Vanessa’s pitch rose with each word.

“As if. Fine. That’s it okay. I made a friend.”

“That’s great honey! Tell me more about him!”

“They’re a woman actually. Her name is Chloe.”

“Ooooooh,” Vanessa said with a hint of hesitation. “Tell me more about her. What’s she like?”

“She’s tall. Blue hair, tattoos.”

Vanessa gasped. “Please don’t tell me she’s in a band. Honey, please don’t get wrapped up with people like that.”

“With artists? What the hell mom?”

“No, hon, I….ugh!”

“I made a friend, that’s what you wanted!”

“It was! It is! But-”

“But what mom? I haven’t even told you anything about her other than the way she looks and you jump to conclusions.”

“You’ve worked so hard, Maxine. If this is the career you want, I don’t want anyone taking advantage of your success.”

Max was dumbfounded. “You got that from blue hair and tattoos? That she’s taking advantage of me?”

Vanessa raised her voice over Max’s. “Where’d you meet her?” 

“What?” Max questioned. 

“Where did you two meet?” Vanessa asked again. Max noticed she was trying to keep her voice calm. 

“At the airport in Portland. That’s where she’s from,” Max answered.

Vanessa took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Honey, listen to me okay?”

“Mmm,” Max grunted.

“I’m not telling you what to do, but please be careful okay? She’s from Portland, you’re in LA. Have you considered she might be using you to get her ticket down there to ‘make it big’?”

“W-what?” Max couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Sweetie, you can be friends with whoever you want, but she—”

“Stop,” Max demanded. “Stop talking and listen to me.” Vanessa didn’t respond, so Max took her chance to adamantly state, “She would never do something like that.”

“Okay, hon,” Vanessa conceded.

Max breathed heavily as her anger boiled over. “You don’t know anything about her. She’s not in a band. She’s not an actress who is trying to make it in Hollywood. She’s not using me. She is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. She works her ass off at a restaurant in the airport to make a living.” 

Vanessa gasped again. “Oh no. How can’t you see what I’m seeing, Maxine?”

“ _ I’m  _ the one who started our friendship, mom. It was  _ me _ . She’s not trolling the airport for sugar mommas.”

Vanessa scoffed.

“This is exactly why I didn’t tell you. You know what I think? I think you want me to be miserable. Nothing and no one will ever be good enough because you aren’t in control of it.”

“ _ Maxine!  _ You will not speak to me like that!”

“I think you need to hear it! If this is what you’re going to be like, we are done talking.”

“Maxine—”

Max hung up the phone before Vanessa could finish the sentence. She wanted to cry, or maybe hit something. She picked up the book from her nightstand and threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a satisfying smack and then thudded onto the floor. Her phone vibrated on her bed. She picked it up hesitantly, afraid it was Vanessa texting her.

**Chloe: ** Hey! I tried to call. Sorry if I caught you at a bad time. You can give me a call whenever

**Chloe: ** If you want

Max smiled through the tears dripping down her face.

**Max:** Yeah! Just give me a few minutes k? :)

**Chloe:** Fo sho

Max got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face and calm down.  _ What the fuck was that? How could she think those things? I barely even said anything. And what you said to her… _

Her throat tightened and burned as she tried to hold in another wave of tears.

_ What if she’s right? _

* * *

  
_ You’re thinking too hard about this. You’ve barely known her a few weeks and you’re questioning her motives because your mom says you should? _

“Dude! Our lunch special this week at Henry’s is a meatball sub, and this bitch today asked for one but insisted the sauce and cheese not touch each other on the sandwich.”

Max tried to work out that problem in her head. “But...hoooow?”

“Well I told her I could give it to her open-faced, and she said no. She wanted the sandwich closed.”

“Okaaaaay.” Max squinted in confusion.  _ The Karens strike again! _

“Right?! When I told her that wasn’t possible, she literally shooed me away with her hand and told me to ‘fucking figure it out.’ So I came up with a solution.”

“Oh no, what did you do?”

“I laid slices of provolone on top of the sandwich and had them bake it like that. The only solution I could find other than leaving the cheese off entirely,” Chloe said matter-of-factly. 

“Huh, nicely done!”

“Thank you.  _ Bitch  _ didn’t think it was very clever. She called me a ‘fucking idiot’ and threw the sandwich at me. Then she insisted on talking to the manager,  _ who made the sandwich _ , and he let her have all of her alcohol free.”

“What?!” Max was outraged.

Chloe’s voice rose in outrage. “I know! I have burns on my arms from the  _ meatballs of fire  _ and she gets catered to like I fucked up.” 

“Oh, Chloe. That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”

“I’ll send you pictures! Hold up.”

Chloe rustled around for a few seconds and said, “There ya go, Maxi. Check that shit out.”

Max pulled the phone away from her ear when her phone vibrated. She opened the photo and saw a couple of round burns and what looked like some spatter burns from the sauce on her untattooed arm. 

“Shit, Chloe. Ow! Did you see a doctor?”

“Nah, I’ll be fine.”

“What a bitch!”

“Right!”

“I’m sorry your day was so bad,” Max comforted.

“I’m sorry yours was, too, I think. What’s wrong? Something’s...off.”

_ The fuck?! Lie? Yeah, lie.  _

“Nope, I’m good. Pretty normal day over here.” It was actually pretty good. She’d already decided she wasn’t going to tell Chloe she was coming to Portland in less than a week. It would be a fun surprise. 

“Imma call bullshit on that. You sounded stuffy when you called. Did something happen?”

Max gulped. She wanted to tell Chloe everything but didn’t want to hurt her feelings either. She let out a shaky breath, tears threatening the brim of her eyelashes. “M-my mom. I talked to her today. Before you called.”

“Ah, so that’s what you were doing.”

“Yeah, and…”  _ Do I really tell her that I’m a shut-in? A recluse with no friends? That I literally don’t do anything interesting but work and watch TV and my mom badgers me about it constantly.  _ “I...don’t know if I’ve told you, but I don’t really have any friends or anything.”

“Sure you do! You have Kate and me!” Chloe insisted.

“I do now, yes, but I didn’t for a long time,” Max admitted, embarrassed

“Oh, really? You and Kate seemed liked you’d been friends for a long time.”

“I think that’s because we get each other, but we didn’t talk before we met you, actually.”

“Whoooooa. Mind blown.”

“Yeah, but my mom calls me everyday to ask if I’ve made friends or if I’m seeing anyone. Okay, she doesn’t ask me that everyday, but it feels like it. I’m never ready to give her an answer.” Max began nervously drumming her fingers on the couch and picking at stray threads.

“Well you certainly have something to say now!”

“I do...and t-that’s kind of the problem.”  _ She’s gonna hate me. _

“I don’t understand. What does she want then?” Chloe asked defiantly, as if she were speaking to a parent.

Max continued, “I told her about you.” The rate of Max’s speech increased tenfold as she began explaining, “All I told her was that you were tall, have blue hair, and tattoos. That’s it! And she—“

“OPE! You done fucked up, Maximus,” Chloe chuckled lightly.

Out of breath, Max asked “W-What?”

“Never tell parents about hair dye and especially not tattoos.”

“Why not?”

“What did she tell you? That I’m a drug addict? A criminal? That I’m not trustworthy in some way?”

“She said...she said you were using me.”

“Mmm, yup, heard that one before.”

“But it’s not right!”

“I’m glad you don’t think so, Max.”

“She’s being a bitch!”

“Heh, it’s okay. I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t have to be! It’s not okay at all, Chloe. You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met. I told her so. That you would never do that.”

“Aaaawwww!”

“Then I kind of hung up on her.” Max rested her hand on her palm.  _ I’ll pay for that I’m sure.  _

“Damn, that’s hardcore, Max. I know it’s a little late now, but you didn’t have to do that for me. It comes with the territory. I’m not worth all of that.”

“Yes you are.”

Max heard Chloe blow out a bunch of air. “You’re such a goop.”

“You!” Max retorted, unable to think of anything else to say. 

“Hey, Max, you got Netflix?”

Max’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Uh, yeah. I do.”

“Good, because I’ve been using you this whole time to get your username and password.” 

“Hey!”

“Yup, meet girl at bar, check. Befriend, check. Get close to her, check. Get the goods, in progress.”

“Ooooh, I see how it is.” Relief washed over Max as she realized Chloe didn’t think she was a horrible person. 

Chloe laughed, “No really, I was wondering if you’d want to watch a movie together. Kind of. We can turn on the same show, stay on the phone. Just change things up a bit.”

“That sounds great!”

“And I lowkey have been dying to watch Into the Spiderverse for weeks now. Is that okay with you?”

“Absolutely! I’ve been thinking about watching it, but I always default to The Office.”

“Yes! A solid choice. One other thing. Are there any good chinese places around you?”

“Um, yeah. There’s Fortune House. Why?” Max asked in confusion.

“And what do you normally get there?”

“Sweet and sour chicken. Chloeeee, what the hell?”

“Your address, please?”

“Why, what?”

“Max, I’m ordering you Chinese, come on. What’s your address?”

“Chloe, no! That’s okay. I can just make something here.”

“Nope! Not tonight. Dinner’s on me. Now give me your address before I order sweet and sour chicken for everyone in their delivery radius.”

After a bit more coaxing, Max finally obliged. “I hope you’re not doing this to prove to me or my mom that you’re not using me.”

“Heheheh, no. Okay, maybe a little, but just for you. I don’t have anything to prove to your mom.”

“Chloe, I know you’re not like that.”

“I know, but sometimes the shit our parents say gets stuck in our heads. You know? They plant the seed, resentment grows. I just wanted to give you something to combat the bullshit. Plus, I’m pretty sure this is gonna score me hella babe points.”

“B-babe points?”

“Yeah. The more babe points someone has, the more dateable they are.”

“Oh,” Max laughed nervously.

When the food arrived, Max discovered Chloe had also ordered her some of the Chinese sugared donuts that she loves but would never order for herself. They watched their movie and ate together over the phone. It was the best Friday night Max could ever remember having. 

_ +50,000 babe points to Chloe. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy!
> 
> How you guys doing? It's been a bit longer than usual, I know. Ya girl has had pneumonia, so I've pretty much just been existing and trying not to sweat all over the place. While I was laying around being ill, I started cooking up another story in my head which led me to play Farewell. I've played through it exactly one time, and I told myself I would never do it again. But I'm older! I'm fine! I can handle this! I was dead fucking wrong, for the record. I was a sobbing mess by the end of it. I think that the story we have in mind will improve greatly because of it though. Will I be like Adder and work on two stories at once? Perhapsssss.
> 
> It occurred to me that some of you might be new to how Letters, Adder, and myself do things. We are all authors on our stories because 1) we all work on them and provide significant amounts of input and 2) if one of you guys finds a problem, it's easy for us to go in and fix it. If you're curious about who thought of what, here's a handy list for you of things that are currently being worked on or recently finished.
> 
> BlackAdder261: Alias Red Deer, What the Future Holds  
Thanks_for_the_Letters: The Drop, Monolith (currently on hiatus)  
LazyLazer (me): Speed of Light, Be Wherever You Are
> 
> We are constantly thinking of things to write which is either really bad, because we have a lot of work to do, or good, because we get to make content for all of you and it's hella fun. If you want to, you can join us on our discord server. You can ask us questions and chat with other people. You can recommend fics or just talk about fics you like. We try and keep it a chill place for everyone, but we understand discussion can get heated sometimes. You can join us here: https://discord.gg/JVCdxtQ
> 
> Thank you all for being here and for loving Life is Strange as much as we do.
> 
> -Lazer


	6. Chapter 6

“I have a really early meeting in the morning, so I’m gonna get off here.” Max’s body was vibrating with excitement. In a few hours, she’d be waking up to catch her flight to Portland for the trade show.

“Ugh, yeah it’s getting late isn’t it? I have to work breakfast and lunch tomorrow, so I should probably get some sleep too.”

_ She’ll be there! Yes! _

“That’s rough. Jason called off again?”

“Supposedly he’s going to his great aunt’s cat’s funeral.”

“Are you shitting me?!” Max said, outraged. 

“Yeah,” Chloe chuckled, “He doesn’t bother with excuses. By my book, that’s probably the only excuse he has left.”

Max laughed, maybe a little too hard. Her excitement was leaking out of her at this point.  _ Maybe I can bring her something and make her day better? She is gonna be so surprised. What will it be like to have these conversations in person now?  _

Chloe laughed at her enthusiasm. “Well, you’re going to bed happy at least. Have a good meeting tomorrow.”

“And you have a good shift!”

“Thank you.” Chloe sighed, “I hate saying goodbye.” 

“Me too,” Max agreed. “But at least it’s not the end.” 

“True. I guess I’ll be ‘talking to you later.’”

“You definitely will,” Max said, her giant smile threatening to break her face. 

“Heh, alright Maxi. Sleep well! Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Chloe!” She hung up the phone and said to herself. “I’ll see you in the morning!”

* * *

  
_ Should I be an asshole and get in front of everyone? I can claim I’m sick so everyone gets the hell out of my way! No, no. Patience.  _

She dug out her phone from her pocket and took it out of airplane mode. 

**Chloe: ** Fuuuuuck I’m so tired

**Chloe:** Why did you keep me up so late huh?

**Chloe: ** Maaaaax I’m bored

**Chloe:** Idk how but I have syrup in my hair. MAXIMUS EXPLAIN

**Chloe: ** Damn. Long meeting?

The last one had been sent 10 minutes ago. 

**Max: ** Just got out 

She’d probably see Chloe before Chloe saw the text.  _ Squee! _

With the plane parked at the gate, Max jumped up from her seat and grabbed her bag and suitcase from the overhead compartment.  _ Why does this always take so goddamn long?! Other people have places to be, you know? _

Max briefly considered hitting a few people with her bag to get them out of the way when the line out started picking up the pace. Once she deplaned, she rushed into the bathroom to make sure she didn’t have anything caught in her teeth and her hair wasn’t going off in different directions. She straightened her bangs a bit and washed her hands. 

_ What if she’s not happy to see me? Max, you idiot! You should have told her! People don’t like being surprised anymore. That’s what cell phones are for. What if she thinks you’re a psycho? _

_ Shit.  _ She tossed her hair a bit more and adjusted her infinity scarf over her black shirt.  _ Maybe just look and see if she’s in a good mood? Or say hi and leave really quick so she doesn’t feel obligated to be around me.  _

She took a deep breath and dodged a parent with her children and several other women waiting in line for the bathroom. She noticed that, as usual, there weren’t any men waiting in line for the men’s room _ . Somebody please explain this phenomenon to me.  _

She walked through the terminal, the trek now becoming familiar to her. She spotted the sign for Henry’s overhead, making her heart skip a beat. She fiddled with her bangs once again and felt her hands shaking; her breath unsteady.  _ Am I seriously panicking right now? _

Her wobbly legs led her into the restaurant. She looked around nervously for Chloe as they automatically went toward the bar stool she was used to. When she sat down, she spotted Chloe across the room. A man in a suit and something pinned to his chest had a grip on Chloe’s arm. Actually, he had a  _ very  _ tight grip, and Chloe didn’t look pleased about it.

She watched Chloe grimace as she managed to yank her arm away. 

* * *

_ Dear Mrs. Nesbitt,  _

_ I will happily continue to retouch your photos, but please be aware that you and your husband may begin to look unnatural or “too perfect.” There is beauty in our flaws, and you should probably learn to cope with that because you have many. _

Kate huffed in annoyance as she angrily pressed backspace. She would never send an email like that, but boy, did she want to. 

_ God forgive me. _

She tucked a stray hair behind her ear that had fallen from her bun and took a deep breath to calm herself. 

“Will you quiet down, please? Some of us are trying to work!” Victoria called from her cubicle. 

Kate rolled her eyes and began defiantly pounding on keys of her keyboard to finish the email in a more appropriate manner. It wasn’t long before she heard Victoria’s heels on the tile coming toward her. 

“ _ Excuse me!”  _ she spat.

“What do you want, Victoria? I’m busy.”

“I  _ asked _ you to please quiet down over here. You’re annoying me,” she snapped.

Maybe she was fed up, maybe she was stressed out, but today was not the day. “Why should I care? You annoy me constantly, and you never do anything I ask!” Kate clapped back.

Victoria was awestruck, her mouth hung open stupidly. “I...I’m going to tell Mark that you’re being disruptive and—”

“Oh! You go right ahead and do that Victoria. Please make me look bad so he will fire me and I can escape this hell hole!” Kate covered her mouth, surprised by her outburst. Victoria was equally as surprised.

“Are you...okay?” Victoria asked. Kate seemed to have broken through the facade if only for a moment to reveal the authentic, human version of Victoria Chase.

Kate’s expression softened despite the shock she felt from the question. “Y-yeah. This woman...she’s not been very kind to me, and I’m frustrated.”

“Huh. What does she want?” Victoria rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Kate wasn’t sure how to read Victoria’s behavior.  _ Is she annoyed with me because I told her what was wrong or is she annoyed at my situation? _

“I uh...was editing her wedding photos and she keeps asking for them to be retouched. There’s only so much I can do before it starts to look weird, you know?”

“Did you tell her that we can’t fix ugly?” Victoria smirked.

It was Kate’s turn to roll her eyes. The genuine Victoria was gone,  _ Bitch Victoria  _ was back. Kate turned back to her computer without responding and reread what she had typed. She assumed Victoria would take the hint and leave, but she didn’t. She just stood awkwardly by her cubicle, staring at Kate while she tried to work.

“I had that issue with a client once,” Victoria blurted out. “It’s extra work but I gave them both versions of a photo: one heavily retouched, one not. Seeing them side by side helps, I think.”

The gears in Kate’s head began to turn.  _ That’s not a bad idea!  _ She stopped her typing to turn to Victoria once more. “That’s a really good idea. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Victoria said, smiling confidently. Kate noticed how perfectly red lipstick was applied to her lips. Not an imperfection in sight.  _ She probably doesn’t need to retouch any photos of herself. _

Victoria walked back to her desk. Kate watched the sway of her hips as she walked away. She shook her head in confusion before turning back to her email. She minimized it for now to work on the extreme retouched version of one of the wedding photos.

A notification popped up on her taskbar:  **Victoria Chase has sent you a message!**

_ What? _

Kate hit reply so she could see what Victoria had said.

**Victoria: ** I’m taking you to lunch today. You’re not allowed to say no.

**Victoria: ** Meet me out front at noon.

She had no idea what possessed her but she replied.

**Kate: ** Okay.

* * *

Max started into action, but Chloe walked away from the man, wrist held close to her chest. The look on her face was one Max had yet to experience. The confident woman she had gotten to know was gone, and there stood a frightened and uncertain one. She leaned against the bar and rubbed her wrist while the man gave her a predatory look and shoveled breakfast into his mouth. 

Chloe hadn’t noticed she was there, and Max desperately wanted to know what happened and if she was okay, so she decided to speak up instead of being a creep. 

“Chloe?” she called from her bar stool. 

Chloe shook herself from whatever spiral she was experiencing and looked up at Max with a start. Her eyes grew wide at the realization and a smile graced her beautiful face at last. 

“Max! What the hell are you doing here?!” In her bewilderment, she raced over to where Max sat and grabbed her hands across the bar. Max squeaked at the contact but let Chloe take her hands.

“Holy shit you’re real!” Chloe released Max’s hands. “Fuck this!” She rounded the end of the bar and ran to Max. She wrapped her arms around Max’s small frame and squeezed tightly. Max returned the hug after a moment of hesitation and surprise. She held on as tightly as she could, still very concerned about what she had seen that man do to her moments ago. Max nuzzled into Chloe’s shoulder.  _ I don’t really like the cigarette smell, but...damn, does she smell good. What the fuck, stop being weird! _

She pulled away from Max and held her at arm's length. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? Oh my god, that’s why you were so weird last night! I can’t believe you’re here! This is AMAZEBALLS!” she yelled, and pulled Max into an even tighter hug.

“Hi, Chloe, it’s great to see you too!” Max said as she held on to Chloe. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I wanted to surprise you. Then I realized you might not like being surprised, so I can leave if you want to. I’m really sorry,” she rambled.

“Shush, you,” she replied. “I’m hella glad to see you.”

Max smiled against Chloe’s shoulder. “Me too.”

They held each other for a little longer without a word. Suddenly Chloe pulled away and hissed, “Shit, I forgot I was working. I’ll get you a water and be right back, okay? Sorry.”

“It’s okay!” Max called after her. Chloe walked back into the kitchen, and with her safely out of sight, Max analyzed the man that had grabbed Chloe when she arrived. With a glare, she looked him up and down. His suit fit him well. He slicked back his brown hair, and was clean shaven. She spied what was pinned to his chest was a badge, so he probably worked for the TSA. He continued shoving food into his mouth angrily, making Max feel a bit queasy as she watched his sharp jawline flex. They made eye contact for only a brief moment. The man practically snarled at her. Max raised an eyebrow and glared.  _ Seriously, fuckwit?  _ He wiped his mouth with the backside of his hand before taking a swig of coffee. He sat down the cup with enough force to shake the table and then resumed cramming food into his mouth from his trough.

_ What the hell were you grabbing her for, asshole? _

Chloe returned from the kitchen and walked out to the asshole. “Can I get you anything else?”

Max couldn’t hear his mumbled response.

“I said no,” she replied. “I’ll be back with your check.”

She watched Chloe’s every move and the man’s reaction to her. He glared at her as she walked away, and when he deemed it safe, he decided he would look at her ass as she walked. Max gripped onto the bar for support.  _ Don’t say anything. He’ll be gone soon at the rate he’s eating.  _

Chloe gave him his check and Max watched him stare at her again as Chloe made her way back over to Max. Chloe poured a water and put the glass on the bar top. “You hungry, Max?”

“Chloe, who is that man over there?”

Her smile faltered; her features darkened. “Just some jackass.”

“H-he had your wrist.”

Chloe brought her wrist to herself and started rubbing it like before. “I-It’s alright, Maxi.” She flexed her fingers and then tightened them into a fist. Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. 

“Are you okay? What happened?”

“Can we talk about this later?” She lowered her voice. “I don’t want to talk about it while he’s here, okay?”

Max was frustrated, but mostly concerned. “Okay.”

“Do you have time to hang around for breakfast?” Chloe asked, trying to sound chipper.

It was difficult, but Max took her lead and tried to move on from the uncomfortable situation. She frowned, “I’m sorry, I really don’t. I have a trade show in a couple of hours.”

Chloe perked up. “In Portland?”

Max smiled, “Yup!”

Chloe’s hands shot up, “You’re staying in Portland?!”

“Mmhmm.” Max smiled wider. “D-do you want to um...would you maybe want to, you know…”

“Yes,” Chloe interrupted. “Whatever it is you land on, I’ll do it,” she joked. 

Max blushed. “G-great! You know you don’t have to just because I’m here. I kinda sprung this on you, I’m sorry—“

“Max, shut up and get your bony ass to work and get done so that we can hang out.” Chloe shook her head and rolled her eyes. “There’s no way you're getting rid of me that easily.”

“Oh, okay. Cool. Great!” She stood up from the bar stool and fiddled with the strap of her messenger bag. “I’ll um...see you later then.”

“Yes, you will,” Chloe winked. “Text me which hotel you’re at and I’ll come pick you up when you’re done. I’m off at four.” 

Max nodded at her. “Okay, that’ll work.” 

They continued looking at each other, Max awkwardly, Chloe with a smirk.

“I guess I should go.” Max gestured to the terminal. 

“Yeah,” Chloe said, her grin widening.

“I’ll see you later,” Max added. 

“Mmhmm!”

“Have a uh...good day.”  _ Can we hug again please? _

“You too.”

Max started to walk away but stopped abruptly feeling like she shouldn’t leave.  _ Maybe I can steal her away from here and I could not go to the show and we could just run away.  _ She turned around to look at Chloe again. She was leaning on the bar, her arms crossed. Chloe’s shiteating grin and the understanding in her eyes caused a new wave of embarrassment. Chloe waved flirtatiously, just wiggling her fingers.

“Bye, cutie. I’ll see you later,” she said. 

Max’s stomach flipped, butterflies flying rampant. She smiled stupidly, dazed. “Bye,” she waved back. 

Chloe pushed away from the bar and continued her work, giving Max the break she needed to feel like she could finally walk away. 

_ I hAvE a dAtE?!?!!?!?! Right? Yeah? No! What? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOVE IS IN THE AIR!
> 
> Happy holidays, everybody!


	7. Chapter 7

Kate expected an awkward lunch. She expected that they would eat salads at a cafe and barely speak to each other. She expected Victoria to say something rude and that she would have to tell her so. She hoped that maybe she would actually get Victoria to open up about herself and find the good she had been searching for all this time. No. That’s not what this was.

This was not lunch. This was an interrogation over champagne and caviar. 

“What is your full name?” Victoria queried as she covered some toast with beluga caviar and créme fraiche.

“K-kate Beverly Marsh.”

“And where are you from?”

“Los Angeles. Victoria what—?”

“Any siblings? Are your parents still alive?” Victoria pressed.

“Yes, two. Yes, my parents are still alive.” Kate started to sweat. She tugged anxiously at her collar. Her stomach turned thinking about what Victoria was about to eat.

“Where did you go to school?”

“UCLA.”

“Why did you want to be a photographer?”

“I...I don’t know, it’s just something I’ve always enjoyed,” she answered. Desperate to end the questioning she quickly said, “Victoria, there aren’t any prices on the menu.”

“I told you I was taking you to lunch. That means I’m paying for it.” Victoria seemed exasperated.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure I can handle it.”

“Believe me, you can’t. Not on your salary.” Victoria rolled her eyes. Kate’s brow furrowed. 

The waiter stopped in front of their table and began pouring their champagne. He placed it in an ice bucket on their table. 

“You drink on your lunch?” Kate asked dumbfounded. 

“Yes, all of the time,” Victoria responded as she perused the menu. Kate’s eyes widened _ . Is that even allowed?  _ Kate returned her eyes to the menu. She couldn’t understand half of what was on there so she would probably have to choose at random. There was no way she was asking Victoria. She didn’t want to feel even more like an idiot than she already did. 

Victoria immediately picked up her glass and took a sip. Kate hesitated to grab hers. She wanted to, especially because this was probably the only time she got to try champagne not produced by Barefoot. 

_ I could really use a drink after the morning I had. Ugh, fine. Just this one time.  _ Kate picked up her glass and took a sip of the luxurious, golden liquid. 

“Are you ready to order, Miss Chase?”

“Yes, I’ll have the lamb. Extra mint sauce. Kate will have the duck.”

Kate choked on her champagne. 

“Are you alright, miss?!”

Kate attempted to speak. “Yes, I’m sorry,” she croaked before continuing to cough. 

“Why are you just standing there?! Go get her some water!” Victoria demanded. 

“Right away!”

“What happened? Is something wrong with the champagne?” Victoria actually looked worried. 

“No,” she said through a cough. The waiter returned with water. Kate greedily took a sip and felt the sting in her throat slowly subside. Kate swallowed sip after sip and slowly regained the ability to breathe without coughing. 

Victoria sipped her champagne with an eyebrow raised. She set her glass back on the table and straightened her posture. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to drink it,” she sniped. 

Kate furrowed her brow once again. “No. That’s not...I’m sorry,” Kate grumbled, her irritation growing. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“You just ordered for me.  _ I’m  _ eating duck? That’s not even what I wanted.”

“Yes it is. The duck is delicious. Trust me.” Victoria waved her off and pulled her phone from her purse. Kate watched her completely perplexed.  _ Now she’s going to be rude enough to play around on her phone? _

She wanted to argue, but she was getting a free lunch, even if it’s not the one she wanted.  _ Duck? Really? You mean those cute little ducks I feed in the park? With their cute little babies following them around?  _

No, no. She was definitely going to argue. 

“So...you invited me to lunch to tell me what to eat and play around on your phone?” Kate snapped.

Victoria huffed in annoyance. “I brought you here because I thought you needed a nice lunch. I know what’s good, and I ordered it for you. So nice of you to be  _ grateful _ .”

“Did you consider I might be vegetarian? Or that I’d like to pick something that I actually wanted to eat?”

Victoria respond in a hushed but sharp voice. “I thought it would be nice for you to—“

“Be told what to do by another... _ damn  _ person today?”

Victoria’s stern expression faltered. She wrung her hands in uncertainty and her tone remained hushed when she said, “A lot of women like that.”

“I don’t know where you’re getting your advice on women, but it’s sh—,” she lowered her voice, “It’s shit,” she hissed. “Why would you invite me here just to be a jerk? Hmm, I don’t know, maybe it’s because you’re  _ always  _ a jerk to me. Everything, and I mean  _ everything  _ you say is snide or condescending. And the way you treat Max! I about slapped you for bullying her last week!” Kate pushed her chair back so that she could get up. She sighed and started in on Victoria again deciding there was more to be said. “You surprised me today. You actually showed concern and offered help like a  _ decent human being _ . Then you invite me to lunch to treat me the same way you always do! I can’t keep up with whatever game you’re playing, and I won’t.” With that she got up from the table and turned to leave. She stopped abruptly after her first step, turned around, grabbed the flute of champagne from the table, and downed it with a gulp. 

She stormed out of the restaurant while the other patrons looked between her and Victoria. Victoria’s face reddened as she poured herself more champagne. 

* * *

The Chiaroscuro booth wasn’t seeing much action, but Max was able to pass out a few business cards. She talked to a couple people at the booths around her to keep her brain from falling out of her skull due to boredom. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, reminding her that she hadn’t told Chloe where she was staying. Hurriedly, she removed her phone from her pocket. 

**Kate:** You’re probably busy but if you have a chance to talk can you call me?

**Kate:** It’s nothing urgent

It must be something big if Kate was requesting a phone call. She looked around and it seemed like the show was dying down anyways. She stepped out from behind her table and rushed to the nearby restroom to call Kate.

The phone rang only once. “Hello?” Kate responded harshly.

“Hey, Kate, are you okay?”

Kate sniffed. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry for interrupting. I know you’re busy, and I didn’t expect you call so soon.” Her voice shook as she spoke. It alarmed Max greatly, hearing her so upset.   


“It’s okay, Kate,” she said softly. “I’m so bored! It’s no problem. Did something happen?”

“You’re not going to believe what I just did. It’s so stupid.” Kate sighed into the phone. “I had a really terrible day,” she explained. She went on to tell Max about the woman wanting extra retouching and how Victoria offered a solution. 

“Wow, that’s not a bad idea, and a bit out of character for her. She didn’t say anything bitchy?”

“Heh, not about me at least. She had a few choice words about the lady. Then she went away, I thought it was over, but I get a Skype message from her.”

“Whoa…”

“I open it up, and it’s her inviting me to lunch.”

“What?! Oh my dog, did you go?”

Kate was silent for a few seconds. “Yes.”

“Oh. My. Dog. What did she do? You sound upset, so I know she did something.”

“She took me to this super expensive restaurant. We had champagne, Max. For  _ lunch _ !”

Max chuckled a bit. “Yeah, some people do that.”

“I’m taking a sip of my champagne and she  _ orders my food for me. _ ”

“What?! Did she ask you what you wanted?”

“NO!”

“Oh, Victora…” Max put her palm to her forehead.

“She told me that ‘women liked that’ and that I wanted the duck and didn’t know it.”

“Oooooooh, that’s bad! Wait, duck?”

“I know!”

“That’s weird, though. Does she like you or something?” Max giggled.

“I don’t think so. She was horrible to me the whole time! Then I stormed out of there and texted you.”

“No, I mean does she  _ like _ like you. That’s a really strange thing to say, isn’t it?”

Kate couldn’t comprehend what Max was saying. “She’s a woman.”

“Yeah. A woman who likes other women. Do you remember that time she gave me that terrible advice? She literally told me to be an asshole to get Chloe’s attention.”

Kate stuttered a bit before saying, “But she’s mean to you, too!”

“She is, but she’s never invited me to lunch.” Max started to laugh it off and change the subject when Kate interrupted.

“But...I...I h-have to go.”

“Wait, Kate it’s—”

Kate had hung up the phone before she got to finish the sentence.  _ Shit. I didn’t think she would react that way. I was mostly joking, but it does kind of seem like Victoria has a thing for her. Maybe she’s not okay with that...  _

**Max:** I’m sorry Kate. I didn’t mean to upset you.

**Max:** Are you okay?

**Kate:** Yes I’m fine. Sorry. I need to think.

Max breathed a sigh of relief.  _ She’s still talking to me. Good.  _

**Max:** If you want to talk more you can call me.

Kate didn’t respond immediately. While she waited, Max texted Chloe. 

**Max:** Hey, I’m at The Nines. 525 SW Morrison St. 

**Chloe:** Holy shit! Fancyyyyyyyyy.

Max smiled. She felt guilty about Kate, but Chloe’s response stirred up her excitement once more. 

**Chloe:** T-Minus 3 hours!

* * *

Who knew three hours lasted a billion years.

After the trade show closed, she went upstairs to her room and put on some jeans and a t-shirt. 

**Max:** Is jeans and a t-shirt okay for wherever we are going?

**Chloe:** Clothing is optional.

Max’s heart skipped a beat at the thought. It sounded exciting but also made her feel a bit panicky.

**Chloe:** Yes any clothes are fine. Nothing fancy!

**Max:** Cool :)

She considered putting on makeup but had never worn it in front of Chloe.  _ Don’t be so obvious, Max.  _ She made sure her hair was perfectly parted and fluffed it several hundred times in the mirror. When she was satisfied, she practiced talking like a normal human being. “Hey, Chloe!” she said with a big smile. “I’m so happy to see you.” She lowered her voice to a sultry level and said, “If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put ‘U’ and ‘I’ together heheheh.”  _ Max, no.  _ “Do you like raisins? Well how about a date?”  _ Max stop.  _ She pointed finger guns at herself in the mirror and winked. Once she was far enough away from the mirror, her frontal lobe kicked into gear and overshadowed her lizard brain.  _ DO NOT SAY ANY OF THOSE PICK UP LINES, YOU DORK! _

She turned on the tv to pass the time and flipped between several different channels.  _ Oooh, HBO!  _ She paced around the room a few times paying no attention to HBO before Chloe texted her she would be there in 20 minutes. Max wasted no time going downstairs. She waited outside on the sidewalk. Several bellhops asked if she wanted a cab, much to her annoyance. She looked up and down the street in both directions, not really sure what she was looking for when she heard it. Tires screeched at the closest intersection. A rattling, rumbling pickup truck pulled up the curb. It’s tan paint had rusted in a few areas and there was an obvious dent in the front bumper. The passenger’s side door was a completely different color than the rest of the truck: dark brown.

Max could smell the exhaust coming from the truck as it continued to rattle. The driver honked the horn, and waved at Max.  _ Who me? _ The driver opened the door. Out came a blue-haired dream in a leather jacket and aviator sunglasses. “Let’s go, Maximillian! I’m hungry!” Max beamed at her in awe. Hotel guests were staring at Chloe and her truck in disgust, but Max was completely enamored. 

Chloe removed her sunglasses and smirked curiously. “So, are you coming or are you just gonna stand there giving me googly eyes?”

She waved Max in and got back into her truck. Max internally screamed at her noodly legs to move forward toward the truck, and they finally obliged. The passenger door opened with a loud creak. The bench seat inside had several holes, and the back was adorned with a tie dye towel. The hole in the floor had been covered with a toy putting green, the flag bent at an odd angle. “Your chariot m’lady.” Chloe smiled widely as she pulled a cigarette from her breast pocket and lit it.

_ How is it possible for her to be hotter than she was before? _

* * *

Chloe pulled away from the curb, a plume of smoke exiting her lips. She looked at Max. “Hey.” 

“Hi,” Max answered dreamily. 

Chloe chuckled and shook her head. “You okay there, Maxi?”

“Mmhmm!” She nodded. 

“Sorry about the truck. I know she looks like shit, but I love her. Fixed her up myself.”

“You’re perfect.”

Her eyebrows raised over the top of her aviators as she smirked.

“I mean it’s perfect! It fits you perfectly!”

“Repaired junk? Yeah, I’d have to agree with that.”

“No! That’s not what I—”

“I’m giving you a hard time, Max. Relax.” She smiled around her cigarette. “How was the trade show?” she asked as she exhaled.

“So boring. It felt like the day lasted forever.” 

“Saaaaaaame,” Chloe agreed. 

She was going to leave it at that, but maybe Chloe could help with the Kate situation. “Actually, toward the end Kate asked me to call her.”

“Oh yeah?” 

“She’s never done that before.” 

“What did she want?”

“We have a coworker who is a real bitch.”

“Ha!”

“And she asked Kate to lunch today.” 

Chloe frowned and looked quizzical. “But she’s a bitch?”

“Yeah! She’s rude to us at work. She hit me in the face with a rubber band the other day. And once she tried to give me advice on how to get your att—”  _ Pump. The. BRAKES! _

“On how to get my what?” Chloe threw her cigarette butt out the window.

Max continued knowing she had gone too far. “She told me that I should pretend to hate you if I w-wanted to...you know...get your attention.”

“What? That’s some cishet dude bullshit right there. Thank you for not doing that.”

“Cishet?”

“Yeah. ‘Cis’ meaning cisgender. They identify as the sex they were assigned. ‘Het’ is short for heterosexual.”

“Oh! For sure something a ‘cishet’ man would say. Anyways, I couldn’t be mean to you if I tried.”

“I know,” Chloe smiled. “Did Kate have a good time?”

“No. Victoria ordered her food for her and was a total asshole.”

“Whoa, is she into Kate?”

“That’s what I thought! I don’t know. Victoria said ‘a lot of women’ like it when she orders food for them,” Max explained. “I know she’s gay, too. I mentioned to Kate that Victoria might like her and she kinda...hung up on me.”

“Oh no…”

“Yeah.”

“Has Kate ever…”

Max knew the end of the question. “I don’t know.”

“She’ll work it out. I’d be happy to talk with her about it, too. Maybe we should check on her later?”

“Good idea,” Max smiled warmly. “What about you? How was your day? Did that guy leave you alone?”

Chloe tensed immediately. Her grip tightened on the steering wheel turning her knuckles white. She clenched her jaw, her arms rigid. She let out a shaky breath. “Yeah, he left.”

Noticing the change in Chloe’s demeanor, Max treaded lightly. “D-do you want to talk about it?”

Chloe took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah, it’s fine. I told you I would.” She cleared her throat before continuing. “His name is Eliot Hampden. He’s an air marshal. He comes to Henry’s a couple times a week and always asks me out.”

A fire ignited in Max’s stomach. “H-have you gone out with him before?”

“Pffft,  _ fuck  _ no. He’s a fucking scumbag. Plus, he has the wrong parts.”

“Oh.” That made Max feel a bit better. “And w-why did he grab you like that?”

Chloe shook her head. “I refused him for the millionth time, I guess.”

“Why won’t he take the hint?”

“He’s an entitled asshat? He’s never been turned down before? He thinks I’m playing hard to get? Fuck if I know.”

“Damn it! I should have stepped in. I wasn’t sure what was going on.” 

“I’m glad you didn’t. If he would have so much as looked at you I would have punched him in the neck.” Chloe pulled out another cigarette. 

“Have you told Mike?” 

“I’ve mentioned it a couple of times. He told me to let him know if it gets out of hand.”

“So you’ll tell him about today?”

“Yeah, at some point.” She inhaled and said, “Enough of that bullshit. Let’s have some fun! You hungry?"

* * *

“Chloe, I think I found a typo on the menu.” She turned around the menu and pointed it out to Chloe. 

“Mmm...no I don’t think so.”

“Yeah huh!” She lowered her voice to a whisper, “It says ‘VAGitarian refried beans.”

Chloe covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laugh. “Nah, sweets, it’s not a typo. Look, there’s a Vagitarian Cheese Burger on the Burger page.”

“Oh, dog.”

“Woo, Max! I can  _ feel _ the heat comin’ off them cheeks!” Max covered her face with her hands. “Noooo, no, don’t cover up that beautiful face!” Chloe reached across the table to pull Max’s hands away from her face. The contact didn’t help Max’s ever-reddening skin. “I should have warned you. The Roxy is...eccentric.”

“It’s quite funny, I’m just an idiot.”

“No! No. A Roxy Virgin mistake.” Chloe winked.

Max continued looking through the menu and found a lot more hidden gems.  _ GLBT: A nice gay bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich with mayo. (No extra charge for hetero bacon). This place is so Chloe.  _

“Chloe! How ya doing?!”

“Hey, Jade! I’m doing great. Just having dinner with my girl, Max. Max this is Jade.”

“Hi,” Jade said with a smile. Max gave a shy smile and wave. “Oh, Chloe, she’s adorable.”

“I know right!”

“Do you guys know what you’d like?”

“Yes, I think so. I’ll have a Triple Black Magic and the Big Fat Heart Attack Special. Eggs scrambled, rye toast.”

Max could barely remember how to speak.  _ My girl? Go on, speak! It’s your turn.  _ “I-I-I w-want the Soylent Green Omelet,” she practically whispered. 

“Anything to drink?”

“The Chai Latte, please.”

“You got it. Chloe, go easy on her, would ya? The poor thing looks like she is about to combust.” Jade walked off to the kitchen with their order while Max stared dreamily at Chloe. 

Chloe rested her chin on her palm. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I can’t either.” Chloe’s smile gave her life. 

“How did this even happen?”

“Oh, um, I forgot we didn’t get to talk about this. One of my coworkers was supposed to come instead, but she got pregnant and is starting to show. My boss didn’t want her representing the company because that’s not the image he wants to project.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Does your boss always run the company like a fucking sex trafficker?”

Max snorted. “I don’t even know what to say to that. You’re right though. He’s a real tool.”

“Clearly. Well, that sucks for her, but you’re here, so I can’t really complain.” Chloe reached across the table and grabbed Max’s hand. She lightly brushed across Max’s knuckles with her thumb. Max never wanted to take her eyes off of this beautiful woman. She could hardly believe that this was happening and that she was here sitting in front of her.  _ And to top it all off, it seems she likes me for some reason. This makes no fucking sense. She’s made a mistake. What if it’s like that one movie where the guy is under a spell and sees all of the ugly women as beautiful.  _

“Your Triple Black Magic, aaaaand the Chai Latte.” Jade sat the drinks in front of the two. “Only one of those, Chloe. I’m fucking serious,” she said sternly. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Chloe rolled her eyes and let go of Max’s hand to grab her coffee cup. 

Max raised an eyebrow at the dark liquid that looked suspiciously like tar. “I-is there alcohol in it or something?”

Chloe swallowed her sip. “No. It’s their coffee with three shots of espresso. The last time we were here, Rachel dared me to drink 3 cups.”

“Oooohh. How’d that go?” 

“Well, I did it, and then I barfed all over the booth.”

“Nooooo!”

“Then Rachel took me to the hospital because I thought my heart was going to explode and I was shaking so bad.”

“Whoa!”

“Yeah, dude. No bueno, but mama didn’t raise no bitch!”

Max laughed. “Looks like you’re still at it though.”

“It was months before I could even look at a cup of coffee. But I’m back!” She took another gulp of the steaming liquid. “Rachel is such a shit sometimes, but I love her.”

Max’s heart stopped beating.  _ Of course. That’s why they live together. See! You were misreading. Chloe’s just overly flirtatious.  _ “Oh?” she managed to utter.

“Not like that of course,” Chloe said after noticing Max’s discomfort. “She’s my sister. Plus, I’m a one woman gal. One specific woman at that,” she said with a wink while taking a sip of her coffee. 

Max had taken a drink, too. 

Chloe was was clearly trying not to laugh. “You...you got…” she grabbed a few napkins and reached across the table to dab Max’s face. Max looked down and saw she had dribbled her latte all over herself. 

“I...I’m sorry, I—“

“No worries. Just let me know if you want some help closing up that hole in your lip.” 

_ I’ve died. I must be dead. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa hey! What's up?! Happy New Year! I hope all of you are doing well with the post-holiday time. How's the post-holiday mental health? Do you have 1) seasonal depression 2) regular depression or 3) did you set an unrealistic resolution and you failed so now you think you suck? I'm sorry if any of those describe you, but if you chose #3, you stop that. You stop it right now.
> 
> Did you enjoy our trip to Fluffsville? This was fun. Difficult to write for some reason, but fun. Just so you know, The Roxy is a real place in Portland. I've never been, but I'm going to go. When I found it, I couldn't believe how perfect it was. I hope it doesn't suck in real life.
> 
> Another fun tidbit, I was made fun of a lot when Letters and Adder read over the chapter. Letters said, "OK Lacey, there's a difference between projecting and self-insert." HA, I wish I could say I was sorry. Chloe is a goddess, and I can't help myself.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading. Let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

“So...full,” Chloe panted. She had her hands resting on the top of her head like the position would give her lungs extra space to expand.

“Me too,” Max agreed. “So good, though.”

“Hell yeah. Glad you liked it.” Chloe took a deep breath and turned the key to her truck. The truck rumbled to life reluctantly. “Anywhere you want to go?”

Max didn’t want the night to end, but she didn’t have any idea what to do next. “You’re the Portland expert! Take me somewhere you like to go.”

“Honestly, I hadn’t thought past food.” Chloe scratched her head. “Hmm. There is one thing we can do. It’s kinda lame, I guess, but it’s close by. Might be fun.”

Max smiled, relieved that Chloe still wanted to spend time with her and wasn’t rushing off. “What is it?”

“You any good at putt-putt?”

Max’s brows furrowed. “W-what’s that?”

Chloe was a bit taken aback. “Minigolf.”

Max shook her head. “I don’t know what that is.”

“Are you shitting me?” Chloe chuckled as she put the truck into gear. “You okay with going? 

“Yeah! I’m up for anything. As long as you don’t mind teaching me.”

“Oh I definitely don’t mind,” Chloe replied, wiggling her eyebrows. “Honestly, I’m looking forward to winning for a change.”

* * *

_ This is why she was looking at me so deviously.  _ Max couldn’t breathe. Her mind reeled with  _ feelings. _ Chloe had her arms wrapped around her, holding her hands in place on the putter. Chloe had taken them to a place called Glowing Greens, an indoor minigolf course lit by blacklights. Max was extremely thankful no one could see her face, that her blush wasn’t illuminated by the blacklight. Chloe gave Max instructions softly into her ear, “And all you have to do is get the ball into the hole with the least number of tries. Got it?”

“Yes,” Max choked out.  _ Is that her heart that I feel pounding on my back? _

“You want me to help you with this first putt? Since I’m already here?” Chloe asked, even though she was pretty sure she knew the answer with how Max had settled into her embrace.

_ If you could stay there forever, that would be great.  _ It didn’t feel gross, unnatural, or creepy, even when she felt Chloe’s breath on her neck. This felt okay. This felt right.

“Y-yes, please.” Chloe tightened her grip on Max’s hands a bit.  _ She has cute thumbs. Is that weird of me to think? How exactly are thumbs cute, anyways?  _

_ They just are, Max. Focus. _

Chloe guided Max’s putt, gently swinging the putter backwards and then forwards to gently hit the ball. “See, you don’t want to hit it too hard or things will get crazy.” 

They both watched the ball travel down the putting green, over a few bumps, hitting the wall, and eventually falling into the hole. Max felt like she understood.  _ It’s like billiards almost. Angles and stuff. Okay. I can handle that. _

“Are you kidding me right now?” Chloe hissed. 

“I-is that good?”

“You got a hole-in-one! Yes, it’s good!” Chloe removed herself from Max. “You don’t get any more help! I’m not letting a complete noob kick my ass. No way.” Chloe put her golf ball down and squared herself up for her putt and told Max to go get her ball from the hole. Once Max had retrieved her ball, she stood out of the way and watched Chloe carefully line up her putt. “You’re goin’ down, Caulfield.” She hit the ball and both women watched as it went on a similar path as Max’s. However, the ball hit a bit too hard off of the wall and hopped over the hole. 

“You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me.” In her frustration, Chloe ran a hand through her hair. “Whatever. The game is on. No more Mister Nice Chlo.” Chloe easily sank her next putt, and they moved on to the next hole.

Max got the hang of it rather quickly. She wasn’t perfect by any means, but she was just good enough to frustrate Chloe. “I can’t believe this,” she’d mutter occasionally. “I don’t believe you’ve never played this before.”

“Maybe I just had a really good teacher,” Max grinned.

That got Chloe to smile. “Smooth.”

The last hole increased in difficulty quite significantly. Max evaluated the narrow bridge over the tiny pond, the series of bumpers in the other direction that would cause the ball to zigzag if done properly, and the obvious, easy way that would surely end in more strokes. Max looked back at Chloe who looked on at her smugly. “Let’s see you sink this one, noob.”

Max placed her ball on the mat. “OOoooooOOOooooh. That’s brave of you, Maxi. You’re really gonna go for the most difficult putt? You suuuuure you wanna do that?”

“Mmhmm.” Max nodded confidently. She concentrated on the direction of her putter.

“You might wanna widen your grip there,” Chloe interrupted.

Max nodded and did as Chloe suggested, even though she thought her grip was just fine. She saw where she wanted the ball. It was almost like lining up a shot. The trick was hitting it with just the right amount of force.

“Come on, Caulfield! We ain’t got all day!”

“Shh!” Max scolded. “I’m going, Miss Impatient.”

With that, Max hit the ball. It went over the narrow bridge and onto the green near the hole. She turned around to see Chloe, her jaw tense, her knuckles white on the putter. Her thumbs remained cute.

“No fuckin’ way,” she said. “How the hell did you do that?”

“I lined up the shot. You know, like in photography.”   


“For fuck’s sake. I brought a goddamn prodigy.” Chloe put her ball down on the mat. “I’m doing this. You watch! I’ve been here enough times, and I’m a pro. You’re goin’ down.”

Max waited at the end of the green, her arms crossed and a confident smirk on her face. Chloe was taking this very seriously, allowing Max to let down her guard a bit. She took a moment to admire the way Chloe’s tattoo looked in the blacklight. Surely, Chloe was the only person on the earth that looked this cool in a blacklight. Her muscles flexed as she made her putt.

Both watched the ball in anticipation. It traveled onto the narrow bridge but veered off into the small pond below with a  _ plop _ . 

“Ha! Kiss my putt!” Max shouted. Chloe looked at her, shaken to her very core.

“What did you say to me, Smallfield?”

“Kiss. My. PUTT!”

“You little…” Chloe dropped her putter onto the ground and leapt over the pond with her gazelle legs to chase after Max. 

By the time Max realized what was happening and fright had registered in her brain, Chloe was already close enough to grab her. “Ahh!” Chloe had wrapped her arms around Max so she was completely immobile. “You little shit, how could you humiliate me like this?!” Her hold on Max was gentle, her voice teasing. Max eased into the embrace, happy to be back. 

“M-maybe I should be teaching you instead,” Max giggled.

“Ugh! So smug! Terrible!” Both women laughed.

Chloe pulled away from Max to look at her, but still kept her arms around Max. “I never thought you might have an unfair advantage.”   


“I’d say my advantage was mostly gone. With you around it’s hard to concentrate sometimes.”

“Ooh la la. Is that so?”

“Mhm.” Max felt a bit ashamed at her admission and looked down at the floor.

“Well, remind me to amp it up a bit next time.”

_ Next time. _ “Heh, okay.”

“And you,” Chloe declared dramatically, “ _ You  _ can kiss  _ my  _ putt, Maximus. You’re walking back to the hotel.” Chloe’s arms fell away and she hurried to the exit.

“HEY!” Max shouted, chasing after her.

* * *

They sat in Chloe’s truck laughing at each other. They had lost track of what exactly was funny, but it didn’t matter in the slightest. 

“Thank you, Chloe. I had a lot of fun,” Max said, attempting to catch her breath. 

“Me too. Thank  _ you  _ for coming with me. And for showing me that I’m absolute shit at putt-putt.”

“Noooooo!”

“Yessssss!”

“I did better with you helping. Maybe we should try that again. We can like...help each other or...something. I dunno.”

Chloe eyed her suspiciously. “If you want me to want me to snuggle up to you, just say the word.”

“Oh, that’s not—”

“You are such a pact-breaker. Gotta be straightforward, Max.”

_ Fuck. _

Chloe changed the subject. “While we’re being straightforward, I don’t want to go home yet.”

“I don’t want you to either.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Positive?”

“Absolutely. Please don’t leave.”

Chloe winked, “Okay, cutie.” Chloe removed her cigarettes from her pocket. She placed one delicately between her lips and dug around in her pockets for a lighter. 

“So, I have a request, but you’re 1,000 percent allowed to tell me no.” She flicked the lighter and cupped the flame to protect it from a stray gust.

Max watched the process with fascination and almost forgot to respond. “‘Kay,” she uttered.

“I don’t want to impose, but uh...can you show me your hotel room?” she asked, exhaling a plume of smoke.

Max’s eyes widened at the suggestion. Chloe quickly (over)corrected.

“Whoa, nononono, not like that. Unless you want to, I definitely wouldn’t say no. No, um, I legit just want to see inside that hotel. I have since I moved here. I’ll keep my hands to myself. Promise.” She chuckled at herself awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry. Definitely not happening now, huh?”

“Okay.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Really? I have no problem—”

“Yes. I think HBO is the perfect way to top off the night,” Max smirked.

“Oh, hell yeah.” Chloe put the truck in gear and peeled out of the parking space.

* * *

“I don’t belong here,” Chloe said as they made their way through the hotel lobby. 

Max bumped Chloe with her shoulder. “What do you mean? Of course you do.”

“No way. I’m staining this place by existing in it.”

“If anything, you’re improving it. Trust me.”

“Pssht. So does your boss always put you up in hotels this nice?”

  
“They are usually pretty nice. This one is by far the nicest. They have a bar on the roof, a library, a restaurant. It’s a bit much for me, to be honest.”

“Damn.” The two entered the elevator which took them to the 27th floor. Neither said a word, but Chloe had shoved her hands in her jacket pockets and looked at the floor. When they arrived, Max walked out of the elevator, but Chloe didn’t follow.

Max looked at her curiously. “My room. It’s this way.” She pointed in the direction. “You coming?”

“Uh yeah,” Chloe said. She looked at Max with her eyes wide, and then she shook her head. “Sorry. For sure.”

Max led the way to her room. Chloe followed at a much slower pace. Once at the door, Max opened it for her. “After you!” she said. Slowly, Chloe made her way to the room’s huge window. Max walked up beside her to view the shimmering lights of the city. “Isn’t it cool?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s one of my favorite parts of being in a big city. They are incredible to look at. Photos never do them justice.”

“Mmm,” Chloe grunted.

“S-something I always do...it’s kind of creepy now that I think about it,” she chuckled nervously, “Is watch people. I think about where they might be going and why. Make up stories about them.”

“Cool,” Chloe said. She continued to stare out the window making Max wonder if she was even listening. Chloe’s monosyllabic responses were extremely concerning.  _ What have I done? What did I say? _

Max gulped. “H-hey, Chlo?”

She didn’t even look at Max when she responded. “Mmhmm?” 

“Did I do something wrong?”

That got Chloe to look at her. “No, Max. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Are you sure? You’re not...you’re not very  _ you  _ right now.”

Chloe took a deep breath and shook her head again. “I’m really sorry.”

“For what? I’m sorry.”   


“No, Max, you didn’t do anything. Thank you for showing me the hotel.”

“You’re welcome.”

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have invited myself. It’s just...being here has made me realize how different your life is from mine.”

Max’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“If I didn’t know you, I’d never be allowed to set foot in this place.”

“That’s ridic—”

“No, it’s not.” Chloe shook her head again. “If this is your life on the regular, how could I even compete with that? How  _ am _ I competing with that? I picked you up in my fucking rust mobile, took you to a trashy diner, and to fucking play minigolf. Fuck.” Chloe put her hand on her forehead. “And now I’m unloading on you.”

Max’s heart broke for her.  _ Where is that Chloe Price confidence?!  _

Chloe backed away from the window and headed toward the door. “Maybe we can just forget this ever happened, kay? I can see myself out.”

_ Now would be a fantastic time to say something and stop her!! _

“N-no! Wait.” Max acted on instinct. She ran to Chloe and wrapped her arms around her torso. “Don’t leave.”   


Max could hear Chloe’s heart thudding in her chest. It matched the rhythm of her own. Very slowly, Chloe reciprocated the hug.

“This isn’t my life, Chloe,” she said, her voice muffled by Chloe’s jacketed shoulder. “My life is far,  _ far _ from this.” She felt Chloe start to pull away, but Max refused to let go. “I live in a junky studio apartment in LA. It’s all I can afford. I’m dirt poor by LA standards. I get to travel sometimes, and thank dog for that. I wouldn’t have met you.” Chloe’s grip tightened around her. “My life is in no way glamorous. I come home everyday and do the same boring shit. That is, until I met you. When Jefferson offered up the trade show spot, I took it immediately without even thinking because I’d get to see  _ you _ . I don’t care about any of this shit. I’m as amazed by it as you are.”

Chloe shuddered. Max wasn’t sure if she was laughing or crying, but she kept her hold. When Chloe spoke, Max was relieved to hear humor in her voice. “Have all of your first dates been this intense?”

“I’ve never dated anyone, remember?”

“Shit, that’s right! I still can’t believe that. Lucky me, though.” Chloe placed her chin on top of Max’s head. “Hey, sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable.”

“No, you’re perfect. The night’s not complete without me being an asshole, that’s all. Too bad you haven’t met Rachel. She would’ve warned you.”

“You’re not an asshole. We can still forget this happened if you want, but I want you to stay.” Max squeezed Chloe tighter.

“Nope, I’m never forgetting this.”

Max chuckled. “Okay. Wanna watch tv now?”

“No, I’m not done hugging you yet. Mmmm,” Chloe relaxed even more into the hug. “Your hair smells good.”

“Thanks.”

A few more moments of silence and hugging passed before Max broke the silence, knowing exactly what would improve Chloe’s mood. “What would you say to getting room service on the boss’s dime?”

Chloe’s body stiffened. “Room service?! Fuck yeah!”

Max let go of Chloe but grabbed her hand. She led her over to the bed where she sat down on the edge and pulled Chloe down next to her. Max opened the bedside table drawer and pulled out the room service menu.

“Comfy bed.” Chloe bounced lightly.

“Here, what would you like?”

Chloe quickly flipped open the menu. “Hmmm. Salty or sweet?” She looked at Max for an answer, but continued, “Who am I kidding? Max “Never Maxine” Caulfield likes her sweets. Oooh ooh! Chocolate layer cake with malted vanilla sauce. Fuuuuuuuuuuck,” Chloe gurgled as she pretended to drool.

“Wow, that sounds  _ so  _ good,” Max confirmed.

“Let’s get it! I’ll even share because I like ya.” She nudged Max with her elbow.

Max beamed and handed the remote to Chloe. “You find something to watch, and I’ll order the cake.”

Max managed to stifle the inevitable blush rising in her cheeks until her back was turned. She walked to the other side of the bed to use the phone.

“You okay with me taking my boots off?”

“Definitely. Make yourself comfortable.”

Max dialed the room service number just as she heard two consecutive clunks from across the room. “Aaah,” Chloe sighed. Max looked over her shoulder to see Chloe had made herself comfortable. After removing her boots, she spread out on the bed, propped up by pillows, and began flipping through the channels.

“For a first-timer, you’re pretty good at this. All you had to do was mention cake and TV to get me into bed.”

“Room service, may I have your room number, please?”

“Cake!” Max blurted out. 

“Okay, miss. I need your room number.”

“Uuuh...”

“Miss, I would be happy to bring you our chocolate cake if you just tell me your room number.”

Max felt the phone leave her hand. Chloe had crawled across the bed to wrap Max in a hug from behind. She had pulled the phone delicately from Max’s hand to answer the hotel employee. “Sorry, garçon, the lady really needs her cake. We’re in room 27-219.”

“Right away, miss.”

Chloe handed the phone back to Max who placed it back on the receiver. Chloe tucked her face into Max’s neck and laughed while she continued holding Max. “So sorry,” she managed to say through her laugh.

With the combined embarrassment of Chloe’s comment, acting like an idiot on the phone, and the feeling of Chloe wrapped around her, all Max could do was hide her face in her hands.

* * *

Chloe was kind enough to answer the door when room service arrived. Max couldn’t bear the thought of having one of them see her after her phone fiasco. 

Chloe chose to watch HBO where they were running episodes of True Blood. Chloe held the plate of cake as both of them ate from it. “I could die right now and be okay with it,” Chloe said. “This is the fucking best.” Chloe switched the plate to her other hand so she could put her arm around Max. Max was shocked by the gesture but had to admit that she was happy about it. Max scooted closer, which Chloe didn’t seem to mind. 

_ Maybe I could… _

Max rested her head on her shoulder. Chloe leaned into Max and took another bite of cake. Max’s anxiety regarding the closeness had completely vanished.

_ Agreed, Chloe. This is the happiest I think I’ve ever been. _

As the hours ticked by, Max knew it was only a matter of time before they would have to part ways. She wasn’t going to suggest it, though. She’d stay awake forever if it meant Chloe would stay. Her body seemed to have a different opinion, however.

“Hey, sweets,” Chloe said softly.

Max awoke with a start.  _ You fell asleep, you ass!  _ “Sorry,” she yawned.

“No problem. It’s been a long day.” Chloe gently brushed Max’s hair out of her face.

“What time is it?”

“A little after midnight. I hate to say it but I really should head home. I have work in the morning. And you have a flight don’t you?”

Max frowned. “Yeah. Do you have to go?” 

“Aaahh, I should,” Chloe answered.

“Yeah.” Max snuggled into Chloe a bit more. “I can’t believe today is already over.”

“I know. This is not how I thought today was gonna go, but it was better than I could have imagined.” 

Max raised her head from Chloe’s shoulder and smiled. “Me too.”

They stared at each other, smiling. Chloe’s eyes were glossy. Everything around them seemed to quiet.  _ Is she going to kiss me? _

Chloe sucked in a breath effectively shattering the moment. “You, uh...want me to tuck you in?”

Disappointed, Max shook her head. “I’ll walk you to the elevators.”

“Alright,” Chloe replied.

“Okay,” Max said.

But neither of them moved.

“Damn it,” Chloe grumbled, prying herself from Max. Max drooped onto the bed with Chloe now gone from her place.

Chloe giggled. “You coming?”

“Yeeeeeeeah.”

* * *

They held hands on the way there. Both walked as slowly as possible, but the walk to the elevators was way too short.

Once there, Chloe pulled Max into a tight hug. “I’ll see you at the airport in the morning, yeah?”

“Mmhmm,” Max said, holding Chloe as tightly as she could. 

“Good. That means we don’t have to say goodbye now.”

“We say ‘see you later’ remember? Goodbyes aren’t allowed.”

Chloe chuckled. “You’re right. Thanks again for surprising me, Max. This was the coolest night ever.”

“Thank you for showing me around and hanging out with me.”

“Sure thing. I couldn’t say no to you.” 

Max looked up at Chloe, and suddenly the air felt thick. Chloe had the same look in her eyes as before. Everything was quiet, everything was still. Chloe leaned forward.  _ Please, Chloe. Yes. You’re allowed.  _ Max leaned forward a bit too to help her close the distance.

At that moment, an elevator dinged and the door opened. Chloe quickly pulled back.

_ Fuck!!! _

“George, how many times do I have to tell you to pack black shoes to wear with your black pants! Those brown shoes look ridiculous.”

“Ah, Marie, quit your bellyachin’ would ya. No one noticed.” 

Chloe and Max watched them round the corner toward their room as Marie continued to yell at George about his shoes. George winked at them and waved. Before they were out of earshot, they heard Marie say, “Those girls were so cute. I wish I still had a best friend like that.”

Chloe snorted. Max laughed into Chloe’s shoulder. They stood like that for a few minutes, laughing in each other’s arms.


	9. Chapter 9

Kate chewed what remained of the nail on her pointer finger down to the quick. She hadn’t noticed she was bleeding until she felt it trickle down her finger. 

“Dang it,” she said under her breath. 

_ Focus, Kate.  _ She’d been repeating the mantra so frequently today that it made her wonder if the work she’d completed was any good. Between thinking about what happened yesterday and thinking about the reasons Victoria wasn’t at work, her mind was completely occupied. That was rare for Victoria. Very rare.  _ She never gives up the opportunity to be around Mr. Jefferson.  _

Kate heaved a sigh and decided to check her email. She hadn’t heard back from Mrs. Nesbitt.

_ Bzzzt, bzzzt.  _

Her phone vibrated on her desk. She looked over expecting to see the name of one of her sisters. Instead, she was surprised to see Max’s name on the screen.

_ No, no, no, I can’t think about that right now. Not that.  _

_ Who are you kidding? That’s all you’ve thought about. Last night, this morning…It’s what you ARE thinking about.  _

Kate rested her head on her desk, ignoring her buzzing phone. 

_ So what if Victoria likes you? You don’t like her. She’s the worst person you’ve ever met. She is constantly being rude to you and your friend, she is demeaning, condescending…you wouldn’t be friends with someone like that let alone be  _ intimate  _ with them.  _

_ Why are you going there right now? That’s a whole other thing. You promised yourself you’d be open to the idea that you  _ might _ be queer but that is yet to be confirmed. You’re okay. If that’s what happens, you’ll deal with it when the time comes.  _

_ God doesn’t hate you.  _

_ God loves you.  _

_ You wouldn’t think he hated Max or Chloe.  _

_ You’re spiraling. _

_ But, shouldn’t you show Victoria kindness no matter what? How do you even know she likes you? Max only suggested it! You’re worrying for nothing.  _

_ But she said... _

She had been running on this hamster wheel all night. She tossed and turned hoping her problems would just go away. 

Her phone buzzed one last time indicating Kate had missed the call. She was beyond exhausted, but she knew the right thing to do was to call Max back. She was her only friend other than her sisters. She couldn’t tell them any of this. 

_ Plus you were rude to her yesterday after she suggested… _

Before her mind spiraled out of control once again, she quickly grabbed her phone and redialed Max. 

“Hello,” Max replied after one ring. 

“H-hey, Max.”

“Hi, Kate!” another voice said. 

“Hi, person who I assume is Chloe!”

Max giggled, “She’s ridiculous.”

“You guys had a good time then?”

“Yeah,” Max replied. “It was really great.”

Kate smirked knowingly. “Did you need something?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I was just calling to check on you. I hope I didn’t upset you yesterday. I—“

“No, Max, you didn’t upset me. It’s okay.”

“If you...y’know, wanna talk about anything…”

“Thank you, Max.”

There was a bit of shuffling and noise from the other end of the line. “Chloe!” Kate heard in the background. 

“‘Sup, Katie. You okay?” 

Kate giggled. “Yes, Chloe. I’m fine.”

“Well, if I need to come down there and smack a bitch, you let me know.”

Kate full on laughed at that. “That’s very tempting, but no thank you. I need to handle this myself.”

“If you need to talk about anything, you can tell me or Max. We’re both here for you.”

“Thank you, Chloe.” 

“You’re welcome, Katie Kat.” There was shuffling once again. 

“Hey, sorry about that,” Max said. “She stole the phone and then held it out of my reach until I stopped fighting her.”

“You two are so cute, oh my gosh.”

“You shush,” Max scolded playfully. 

“What’re you doing talking with me! Go be with Chloe. I’ll be here when you get back.”

“We’re both worried about you. Have you seen Victoria?”

Kate sighed, “No, she called off today.”

“Whoa.”

“Yeah.” 

“Let me know if you hear from her. If you want...and stuff.”

“You’re so sweet. Thank you.”

“What’re friends for?”

Kate’s heart warmed. “Have a good flight, Max. And thank you.”

“Anytime.”

She hung up the phone with a much brighter outlook on her day. 

* * *

  
The conversation with Max and Chloe had calmed her mind a bit. She wasn’t really sure what she was dreading so much.  _ Of course they wouldn’t badger you until they were blue in the face. They’re your friends! _ Her problems weren’t resolved but it felt better knowing she wasn’t alone. 

Late in the afternoon, she received the email she had been awaiting from Mrs. Nesbitt.

_ Kate,  _

_ I appreciate your honesty. Seeing the two pictures side by side really helps. You’re right. Ted does look a bit strange. I trust that you will make us look our best from here on out. I apologize. You really did a great job.  _

_ Thank you,  _

_ Stephanie Nesbitt _

Kate read the email several times.  _ What the what?!?!?! It worked! A customer admits they’re wrong probably once in a thousand years!  _

In her excitement, she grabbed a post-it note and wrote a short thank you note to Victoria. She got up to place it on her desk and hesitated.  _ What if she doesn’t want to talk to me? I did leave her in a restaurant. You probably embarrassed her. _

_ But she embarrassed you! _

_ Whatever. _

She returned to her desk and threw the post-it into her recycling bin.  _ She doesn’t care.  _

* * *

  
Kate left Chiaroscuro wanting nothing more than a hot bath, a cup of tea, and a date with her queen-sized bed. She imagined wrapping herself in the comforter and forgetting the day when she noticed a black Lincoln town car parked in her path. A man stood in front of it, his bulging biceps making his suit look uncomfortable. 

“Miss Marsh,” he said in a deep voice. 

“Y-yes.”  _ OH MY GOSH WHY DID YOU ANSWER HIM?  _ Kate stopped in her tracks and cowered. 

“Miss Chase wishes to speak with you,” he stated. 

“Wh-who?”

“Victoria Chase, miss.” His voice and expression were emotionless, but despite this his cumbersome body made it hard not to be afraid. “She asks that you let her take you home.”

It took some time for Kate to work out what he was saying. “V-Victoria is in the car, a-and you are going to take me home?”

“Yes, miss.” 

Her hands were trembling even though her knuckles were white from grasping her purse strap. “N-no thank you.”

Her balance was off as she turned to walk away from the hulking man. “Miss Chase would like to offer you $100 to get in the car.” 

Kate stopped abruptly and turned to look at the man once again. “She what?”

“She will give you $100 if you get in the car.”

“Why?” Kate asked sharply. 

The man was unfazed. “That is between you and Miss Chase.”

“Well, you can tell  _ Miss Chase _ that she can’t pay for the pleasure of my company. There’s a place a few blocks from here with plenty of women that would love to get in her car for some cash. They’ll even pretend to like her.”

_ Kate Beverly Marsh, that was appallingly rude! _

“What about $500, Miss Marsh?”

Insulted, Kate practically yelled, “How much money are you allowed to offer me?!”

The man cleared his throat but kept a straight face. “Miss Chase is prepared to offer you $1,000 if you get into the car.”

Kate bowed her head and grabbed the bridge of her nose. “Are you kidding me?” she said to herself. 

The man opened the door of the town car to reveal Victoria Chase. She wore a white fur coat despite it being a sweltering afternoon, and she also had on pink sunglasses that were comically large. She crossed her stockinged legs as she turned to look at Kate. 

“Let me take you home.”

“Victoria...what are you doing?” Kate was so baffled by this whole show she thought she might be dreaming. 

“Please,” she said. It was subtle, but Kate thought it sounded desperate. It left her feeling a bit stunned that Victoria even knew the word “please.”

Kate couldn’t believe herself, but her resolve started to give.  _ She helped me out after all. _ “You’ll...take me straight home?”

_ Maybe she needs to say something. Plus, it would be nice to not ride the bus. _

“Yes,” Victoria replied. “I promise.”

“Y-you can understand my hesitation, right? This is...crazy, Victoria.”

Victoria’s lips became a thin, white line. “Can we  _ please _ talk inside of the car instead of making a scene on the sidewalk?”

_ If you didn’t want to make a scene, why did you send The Incredible Hulk out here to retrieve me? _

Kate couldn’t believe herself. “Fine,” she said. 

Hesitantly, she walked toward the car and slid in on the leather seat next to Victoria. The Hulk closed the door gently. The two were silent while he walked around to the driver’s side and sat in the driver’s seat. 

“Your address, Miss Marsh?”

“Um, 5511 8th Avenue in Hyde Park.” She wondered if Victoria was going to say something. Hyde Park didn’t have the greatest reputation. Victoria didn’t say anything but she visibly stiffened. 

“You have a house out there?” she asked after clearing her throat and composing herself. 

“No, I live with my parents.”

“Ah.” The awkward silence soon resumed. 

While they sat in silence, Kate tried looking at Victoria a few times, but she seemed engrossed by the scenery passing by them.  _ Or maybe she just wanted to show off her fancy lifestyle and she has nothing to say at all.  _ Kate rolled her eyes. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt for something to do as the silence grew more painful. 

“Fine! I’m sorry, okay!”

Kate jumped at Victoria’s random outburst. “O-okay, I—“

“I get it, alright, you don’t have to be a bitch about it.”

“ _ Excuse me _ ?!” Kate seethed, placing her hand on her cross necklace. 

“You don’t want to go out with me, that’s fine. So what I ordered your food. You walk out on me and make a scene!! What the f—“

“VICTORIA!”

“ _ What _ ?” she hissed. 

“How dare you?  _ I  _ caused a scene?  _ I’m  _ being a bitch? Was that your idea of an apology?!”

Victoria frowned and faced the window once more. 

“I really don’t understand you,” Kate continued. “Sometimes it seems like you can be a decent human being, and then you trash it in an instant. I strongly believe that there’s good in you, Victoria. I really do, but I’m not sure I have the strength to dig it up from the pit you buried it in.” She grabbed her purse. “Stop the car, please! I’ll take a bus.”

The man abruptly pulled over to the sidewalk. “Thank you, sir.” He opened his car door to run around and open the door for Kate, but she had already opened it. As she slid out, a hand grasped tightly onto hers. 

“Wait.  _ Please.  _ I  _ am  _ actually sorry. Fuck!” Victoria pulled her hand away from Kate’s and placed it on her forehead. “I spent all day trying to figure out how I could apologize to you, and I  _ still  _ fuck it up. Please, let me take you home. I will apologize properly.”

“Victoria,” Kate said with irritation.

“I know. If I insult you one more time, I’ll have Vincent drop me off at the bus, and he can take you home.”

_ Intriguing… _

Kate bit her lip. She knew it wasn’t the smart thing to do. 

“One more chance. Please!” Victoria pleaded. 

Kate let out an annoyed growl. “Fine,” she said, plopping back onto the leather seat and slamming the door. “You better start talking. Now.”

Victoria removed her sunglasses. She didn’t have any makeup on.  _ She’s so pretty. Even prettier than normal, honestly.  _

“Vincent, she changed her mind. You can go.”

“Yes, Miss Chase.”

As the car started moving, Victoria looked into Kate’s eyes. “I’m  _ sorry  _ that I offended you yesterday. I’ve played it over and over in my head, and I still can’t work out what exactly happened. What...what did I do wrong?” Victoria’s brow was furrowed. 

Kate’s eyes widened. “Do you really not know?!”

“No! I...shit. It’s where I take women on the first date, and that’s worked for me every single time.”

“How has it worked exactly?”

“Well...they usually like me enough to go home with me and—“

“ _ Stop!” _

“Sorry,” Victoria said, clearly ashamed.

“Is that what you wanted from me too? To come home with you and…” 

“M-maybe. I mean, if you wanted.”

Kate was trying her best not to flip out, but it was very difficult. She took a deep breath. “Well, Victoria, since you took  _ me  _ out, it’s clear that those other relationships didn’t work out very well.”

“No.”

“Then why try the same thing and expect a different result?! Unless it was your plan to just use me and toss me aside—“

“NO!” Victoria insisted. She lowered her voice and croaked, “No. I like you, Kate.”

“What?”

“I do. You’re beautiful and sweet. You’re good at your job. I dunno, maybe part of me wants to corrupt you a little bit,” Victoria smirked. 

_ What is happening right now? _

Kate felt her cheeks turning red. “W-well you have a very odd way of showing it. If you like me so much, why do you treat me like garbage?”

Victoria shrugged. “That’s how all of my guy friends get girls. Like I said, it usually works for me.”

“Ugh! Come on, Victoria. You’re a woman. Would you tolerate being treated the way they treat women?”

Victoria pursed her lips. “Probably not.”

“It’s not rocket science, Victoria. Maybe if you treated people with kindness you might actually get further with them. You could form an actual relationship.”

Victoria nodded. “If that’s what you need, I’ll do it.”

Kate did a double-take. “Wait,  _ what? No!” _

“I’m confused,” Victoria said, the frustration clear in her voice. 

“Victoria, can’t we just...be friends for now?”

“Friends?”

“Honestly, I don’t have any interest in dating you. I don’t  _ like  _ you, Victoria. You’ve only ever been horrible to me. And to Max.”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “What is so great about Caulfield anyway?”

Kate scoffed, “Aside from being an amazing photographer? She’s shy, but she’s smart and funny. She’s  _ kind _ and interested in what I have to say. She’s my friend.” She was happy she could now say that with confidence.

Victoria rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’m not letting Caulfield beat me at being your friend.”

A smile crept onto Kate’s face through her surprise at Victoria’s statement. “Huh. I’m interested to see what that means.”

“Good. You better watch out. I’m gonna be the best fucking friend you’ve ever had.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Kate smirked. 

“We’re here, Miss Marsh.”

Kate looked over at Victoria and noticed the frown on her face when she viewed her family’s home. True, it wasn’t much to look at. It was a white, ranch style home. It could use a fresh coat of paint, some new screens on the windows, and maybe some landscaping. The fence was broken in several areas, the driveway wasn’t level, the garage door wouldn’t close all of the way. It wasn’t perfect, but it was home. 

“Thank you, Vincent, for taking me home.”

“You’re welcome, Miss.”

She got out of the car and then leaned over to say one last thing to Victoria. “So when do I get my 1,000 bucks?”

Victoria grinned back. “Soon,” she replied. Kate laughed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry, dear readers, for I feel like I'm failing you. Please know that I have read all of your comments and that I appreciate every single one of you. I value your thoughts, and without your encouragement, I would fail. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for being here and for reading what spills from my brain. 
> 
> Now that the year that was January is over, I feel like I can breathe a little easier. Why does January suck so hard? Does anyone else feel like that? It makes me feel...stale. But here I am tryna be extra crispy for you all. ADDER, LETTERS! CAN YOU PLEASE FIND MY OFF BUTTON. FOR FUCKS SAKE.
> 
> How do you feel about the Chasemarsh? I miss Max and Chloe, but I feel like this is necessary. What do you guys think?
> 
> Thank you again for reading, and I'll see you all on the flippity flop.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back to Pricefield!
> 
> Enjoy :)

Max awoke to her alarm the next morning. After practically slamming her fist down onto her phone to turn off the alarm, she rolled over and stared at the ceiling, her eyes furrowing in confusion. It took her a few moments to remember where she was. Annoyed that it was time to be awake, she grabbed the pillow she had been cuddling with all night and covered her face with it.  _ This pillow smells like Chloe.  _

_ Chloe. _

A smile crept onto Max’s face as a thrill shot through her body. She wanted to remember everything from last night, every minute detail. She loved the way she felt when Chloe touched her. The vibration and warmth was like a confirmation that Chloe might actually like her, and she wasn’t imagining all of it. She had plenty of proof that Chloe did, in fact, like her, but Max was easily able to brush off any and all evidence related to Chloe’s feelings.  _ How could someone as beautiful, as confident, as sweet as Chloe ever like a lame ass like me? It’s just impossible.  _ Every light touch or aggressive “Chloe Price hug” battled those thoughts.They made Max feel steady and sure. 

She grabbed her phone, deciding to be lazy for a few more minutes before she got ready to go to the airport for her flight home. She was surprised to see she had a text from Chloe. Her heart leapt as she opened it. 

**Chloe: ** Heeeeeey Max. How are you? I can’t sleep.

Max checked the time the text was sent and it was 3 a.m.  _ She’s probably suffering at work right now.  _ She continued reading.

**Chloe: ** I hope this text doesn’t wake you up. I just wanted to tell you that I had such a great time tonight. The best time I’ve ever had probably. And I know we haven't really talked about this. I’ve joked about it and you never correct me but that was a date right? and you like me? I like you. Jsyk.

**Chloe: ** I wanted to kiss you so bad but I wasnt sure. You seemed ok and then we got interrupted. Then I started thinking about how I was a moody lil bitch to you. I’m so sorry. I had to at least try and sabotage my chances with you haha. You’re perfect Max. Truly. Our chances of meeting each other were so slim. Of all the gin joints in all the world, you walked into mine.

_ Oooooooh. An old movie reference? Total nerd, as expected.  _ Max’s grin was making her face hurt. Max continued to read.

**Chloe: ** If you think about it, the number of things that had to happen the way they happened. The circumstances that got us to this point in our lives. Everything had to happen for us to get here. All of the shit I’ve gone through, all that you’ve gone through. What are the chances of us meeting each other? I feel so fucking lucky.

About ten minutes after that message, she sent another. 

**Chloe: ** You ever send a text that you thought was a great idea and then it totally wasn’t. I’m an idiot. And here I am sending you multiple texts. Probably waking you up. I’m such an asshole. Uh so you don’t have to respond to this ok? I’ll understand if you don’t want to talk to me at all. Dumping this on you is kinda not cool. Maybe you don’t even feel the same which makes this hella awk. I’ll see you at the airport in a few hours maybe.

**Chloe: ** If you still want to.

The thrill she felt when she thought of Chloe this morning didn’t come close to how she felt now. She laughed, rolling around her bed, unable to contain herself. She sat up suddenly in realization.  _ If I get going, the sooner I can see her.  _ She tossed her phone aside and ran to the shower. She danced around while she washed, overflowing with excitement, to a tune only she could hear.

* * *

  
Max placed the blue moon roses she purchased on the conveyor belt to be scanned by TSA. She bought them from a vendor outside of the hotel. The peculiar shade of blue caught her eye, immediately reminding her of the woman she was most anxious to see. Without a second thought, she handed the money over to the vendor. Now as she watched them go through the scanner, she worried that Chloe might think they were silly.  _ What if she hates them? What if she’s allergic?! Fuck. This is so stupid.  _

She made her way through the body scanner and collected her things on the other side. The flowers were unharmed in their travels, yet she kind of wished they had been. It would give her an excuse to throw them away and pretend like it never happened. A TSA agent cleared his throat, politely telling her to take her flowers and move along. Woefully, Max picked up the flowers and the rest of her things.

Her excitement from earlier had turned into full on anxiety. Sure, it was great news that Chloe liked her and that she liked her back. She was thrilled! Elated, even, but what was she supposed to do now? Where did they go from here? And, most importantly, what was she going to say to Chloe when she saw her in a few minutes. She hadn’t bothered to text Chloe back, preferring to get to the airport as quickly as possible to see her and confirm in person. Now she wished she had texted Chloe something. Maybe she could have typed something coherent rather than trying to remember how to form a sentence as she walked into Henry’s. 

It was clear the restaurant had not seen a lot of action this morning. The bleachy smell still hung in the air from the cleaning the employees did the night before. She heard voices coming from the kitchen, but no one was out by the bar to greet her. Slowly, hesitantly, Max traipsed to her usual bar stool. Sweat was starting to form on her brow, her anxiety reaching peak levels. She considered finding a trash bin to throw the flowers in before anyone saw them, but when she looked at them she smiled. She sat on her bar stool and tucked the flowers under the bar on her lap. 

The kitchen door swung open with a bang. It startled Max enough that she eked out a small noise. The noise caught the attention of a morose-looking Chloe. “I’ll be right with you,” she said, not looking up from her task. She dropped a basket of clean silverware on the bar then wiped her hands on her apron. She plastered a (fake) smile on her face that fell when she realized who had entered her bar. She didn’t say anything, just visibly gulped. It was clear she had gotten little sleep; there were visible dark bags under her eyes.

“H-hey,” Max said, having found an appropriate word. 

“Um hi,” she said. She rubbed the back of her neck. “You’re really early.”   


Max’s face burned. “I...yeah. I know I um...I wanted to see you.”

Chloe smiled hopefully. “You did?”

Max knew the only way to get the conversation where she wanted it would be to take the plunge and just say what she wanted. She let her mouth go, not entirely sure of what she planned to say. “Chlo, I…” she paused for so long that Chloe started to fidget. “Fuck! Why is this so hard? I’m not, you know, like—”

“It’s okay, Max. I think I understand.” There was a deep disappointment in Chloe’s eyes. “You don’t have to say anything.” She grabbed a rag from the bar and started wiping it down for something to do. 

_ SPEAK DAMN IT!! _

“I like you a lot!”

Chloe stopped immediately. “But…”

Max shook her head. “T-there is no ‘but,’ I…” deciding actions would speak louder than words, Max pulled the blue moon roses she had been hiding on her lap.

Chloe’s expression was indecipherable. 

“They, um...reminded me of you. It’s okay if you hate flowers. I can throw them away, but when I saw them they made me smile. Just like you do. And they’re pretty! Also like you.”

As Max spoke, Chloe quickly rounded the bar. She grabbed the roses from Max and pulled Max off of her bar stool into a bone-crunching hug.

“Hngh,” was the noise that slipped through Max’s lips when she tried to breathe Chloe in.

“You are so fucking sweet, you know that?” Chloe released her from the hug and examined the flowers a bit, touching one of the petals. “They’re amazing. Thank you.” Chloe placed them gently on the bar before grabbing Max by the shoulders. Max thought she was going to get pulled into another hug.

Instead, as she stared directly into Max’s eyes, Chloe raised her left hand and brushed Max’s cheek lightly with one of her cute thumbs. Max shivered despite feeling so warm. Chloe’s hand pushed Max’s hair back behind her ear. Her hand returned to Max’s face, brushing over her freckles. Max stared completely transfixed by Chloe’s azure eyes. Chloe was about to say something, her lips forming a word that would surely bring about Max’s untimely demise because how is everything she says so beautiful?

“Chloe!”

Startled, both women jumped away from each other.

“Chloe, stop hitting on the customers and get to work! The silverware ain’t gonna wrap itself.”

Chloe seemed to have recovered from their moment. “Fuck you, Mike,” she replied. The man grunted and returned to the kitchen.

Chloe looked at Max again and sighed. Her hand returned to Max’s face. “I should really get to work.”

Max made a noise somewhere between a laugh and squeak. 

“Gonna make it, cutie?” Chloe chuckled.

Max nodded.

“Um so...just to confirm and all, uh..we are on the same page, right? We like each other?”

Max nodded vigorously, eyes wide.

Chloe’s smile was now coy. “That’s hella awesome,” she said softly.

Max smiled back, her glossy, dazed look making Chloe chuckle once more.

“I gotta wrap silverware,” Chloe said, nodding in the direction of the basket.

Max nodded again.

“You want some coffee? Some waffles maybe?”

Max nodded once more.

Chloe snickered and left Max to go back around the bar. “To be continued, Maxi.” She turned and gave Max a wink.

* * *

  
Chloe put in Max’s order and got to work while Max tried to distract herself on her phone. A few other customers had filed in which frustrated Max because it gave the two less time together. It was hard not to watch Chloe’s every movement. When she got a strange look from one of the other customers, Max thought it best to cool her jets. Occasionally, however, she would look up from her phone and see that Chloe was having trouble keeping her eyes off of her too.

When Max was finishing up her waffles, Chloe approached her. “Hey, I’m on break for fifteen. Have you checked on Kate?”

Having some time to process their...new status, Max was able to use words again. “Shit!”

“I know. I forgot last night. Maybe we should call her? I know a quiet spot to go.”

Max nodded. 

“There she goes nodding again!” Chloe laughed. After putting on her camera bag, Chloe grabbed Max’s hand and pulled her out of the restaurant. Chloe expertly dodged the crowd while maintaining the connection with Max. Chloe pulled her to a door that she had never noticed in the terminal. Hell, she never even knew they. The sign beside it said, “Lactation Room.”  _ SAY WHAT?! _

Max’s eyes widened in horror as Chloe flung open the door. She imagined several women would be in there with their breasts out, so she shielded her eyes with her other hand and gasped, “Chloe, no!”

“Whoa, what’s wrong?!” When she turned to look at Max, realization dawned on her. “Oh no, dude!” She laughed, “No one ever comes in here. Relax!” Max unshielded her eyes and saw that the room was completely empty. 

Chloe shut the door and took a few deep breaths, trying to compose herself and not embarrass Max too much. She plopped onto the leather couch where she spread her arms and legs wide. “Ahhh! Sorry about that, sweets.”

Max had pursed her lips, embarrassed. “How was I supposed to know, you...you butt?!” 

Chloe grinned deviously. “You thought there were gonna be a bunch of boobies out, didn’t you?”

Max flushed. “It seems to be the  _ purpose  _ of the room, so yes!”

Chloe shrugged, “I mean I’m willing to—“

“Nope!”

Chloe laughed hysterically. Shaking her head, Max pulled out her phone and dialed Kate. She paced back and forth in the room instead of taking a seat next to Chloe. The phone rang and rang with no answer, eventually going to voicemail. 

“No answer,” Max said, concerned. “She should be at work by now.”

“Call her back!” 

“Hmm. I’ll give it a couple minutes. Maybe she’s in the bathroom or something.”

“Fair.” Chloe patted the spot on the couch next to her. “Come on, Maximus, I’m sorry I didn’t warn you. Seriously, it didn’t even cross my mind.”

Max lumbered over to Chloe still pouting over her embarrassment. “It’s okay.” Chloe reached out her hand for Max to take. She took the proffered hand and sat down, her embarrassment melting away. 

“I’m so happy,” Chloe said, lacing their fingers together. 

Max smiled, regaining that dazed look she had earlier. “Me too.”

“I was sure I scared you off and you were never gonna talk to me again.”

Max shook her head. “No, I like you too much.” Max began leaning closer to Chloe without realizing it. 

Chloe grinned, “So now that we’ve established that we like each other, is it okay if I—“

Max’s phone buzzed causing her to jump. She looked at the screen and saw it was Kate. “O-okay if you…?”

Chloe waved her off. “Meh, we can talk later.”

Max nodded. “Hello,” Max answered. 

“Hi, Kate!” Chloe yelled. 

Max giggled, “She’s ridiculous...Yeah, it was really great.”

Max got up, regretfully dropping Chloe’s hand, and started pacing around the room. She tried not to meet Chloe’s eyes because they might distract her too much. 

“Oh, uh, yeah. I was just calling to check on you. I hope I didn’t upset you yesterday. I—“

Too late. Chloe’s eyes locked onto Max’s. She stood up from her seat and predatorily stared into Max’s eyes and soul by proxy. 

“If you...y’know, wanna talk about anything…” she stuttered out, watching Chloe stalk forward. 

Chloe backed her into the wall and placed her hands on either side of her head. Chloe smiled devilishly. Max gaped at the stunning woman before her. Slowly, Chloe caressed her cheek and in a swift motion stole the phone from Max’s hand. “Chloe!”

Chloe held the phone out of reach while Max tried desperately to grab it back. “Give it back!” she hissed, trying to climb her body like a tree to reach the phone. Knowing she wasn’t going to reach it, she put her feet flat on the ground, crossed her arms, and huffed. 

“‘Sup, Katie. You okay?” Chloe wiggled her eyebrows at Max, a small celebration for having won phone control. 

“Well, if I need to come down there and smack a bitch, you let me know,” she continued. “If you need to talk about anything, you can tell me or Max. We’re both here for you.”

“You’re welcome, Katie Kat.” Chloe removed the phone from her ear and held it out for Max. When she grabbed for it, Chloe pulled it away. Max slapped her on the arm, eliciting a giggle from Chloe. 

“Hey, sorry about that,” Max said. “She stole the phone and then held it out of my reach until I stopped fighting her.”

Chloe heard about audible giggle from the other end of the line. 

“You shush,” Max scolded Kate playfully. Chloe winked at Max and returned to her place on the couch. “We’re both worried about you. Have you seen Victoria?....Whoa...Let me know if you hear from her. If you want...and stuff.”

Max smiled, “What’re friends for?... Anytime.”

Max hung up the phone and rounded on Chloe who was standing up from the couch. “What was that about?!” 

Chloe shrugged. “Nothing. Worried about my friend is all.” She quickly crossed the room and grabbed Max’s hand, intertwining their fingers once more. “I just wanted to push your buttons at the same time.”

* * *

Max and Chloe returned to Henry’s. Max resumed answering work emails (a.k.a. Watching Chloe) and Chloe had to start in on the afternoon rush. As each minute passed, Max’s mood plummeted closer and closer to sadness. She’d been looking forward to this for a week and it was over before she had a chance to breathe! 

_ This is why I don’t get excited for anything. It’s never worth it.  _

Chloe was making a couple at one of the tables laugh.  _ Her smile is so beautiful. They don’t even understand that a literal angel is serving them food.  _

Max’s phone vibrated in her hand. She looked down at it and saw she had received an email. 

From American Airlines. 

_ You gotta be fuckin kidding me.  _

She read:

** _Hello MAXINE CAULFIELD:_ **

** _This is a flight status change regarding your trip. _ **

** _American Airlines flight 2568 from Portland has been canceled. _ **

** _Please contact_ **

She couldn’t read anymore. She wouldn’t.  _ Are you fucking kidding me?!  _

She slammed her phone onto the bar while a rage began to bubble up from the depths. She rarely felt this way. She could think of only a few times in her life she felt this mad. Usually, the rage was a culmination of things, but this was an exception.  _ HOW FUCKING HARD IS IT TO FLY ON TIME, PORTLAND, HUH?!  _

She opened her phone once more to look for a customer service phone number. She needed someone, anyone, to yell at. 

“Hey, I want a hug before you...hooooly shit. Are you okay?” Chloe asked, her expression one of worry and maybe a little fear. 

Max had forgotten where she was for a moment. “I CAN’T—“ Max started. Realizing she had no control of her volume, she took a few deep breaths before trying again. “They…canceled my flight,” she said as normally as she could. 

“What?!”

“I know!” She lowered her voice to a whisper but it came out as a hiss. “I swear to dog. They barely gave any notice! I’m calling them. I’m calling them and giving them a piece of my mind.”

“Hey, I’m sorry, Max,” Chloe said. In her anger, Max wasn’t able to read Chloe’s expression. It irked Max a bit that she didn’t seem nearly as angry as her. She wanted Chloe on her level, to be as outraged as she was. Chloe continued, “There's actually a rebooking desk a little ways down the terminal. If you want to yell at them in person.”

“You know what…that’s a great idea, Chlo. I’ll be back.” She grabbed her camera bag, wrapped it around her shoulders. She was ready for battle. 

* * *

  
She wasn’t anywhere close to ready for this battle. She stood in a long line of other frustrated passengers, all of whom shared in her rage, which made her feel a bit better. She even spoke with the woman in front of her, willingly, about how shitty this was.” 

She was ready. Amped. She revved her verbal engine.  _ Be afraid. Be very afraid,  _ she warned silently. 

“I can help who’s next!” called a woman from the far right. Max took a deep breath and stomped over to her station. “Hello, ma’am, how can I help you?” she said sweetly. 

“Yes, hi,” she said.  _ Not off to a good start. You’re mad! Be aggressive! Who cares if she’s nice!  _ “I would like to know why, exactly, the flight to LA was canceled.” It wasn’t nearly as biting as she wanted it to be.  _ Fuck! I should have called immediately when I got the email.  _

“Yes, it was canceled due to weather, ma’am.”

“Weather? Seriously?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“It  _ never  _ rains in California!”

“Well it is today. Can I book you on another flight, ma’am?”

Max wanted to throw things and tell the lady to quit being a motherfucking wet blanket. She wanted the woman to give her another reason to be angry but all she did was continue to defuse the situation with her sweet voice and even tone. 

“Yes,” Max said through clenched teeth.

“Great! We have a flight tonight at 9:00–“

“Sorry, Sheila, I just booked the last seat on that one,” yelled a woman from the center of the desk. 

“Okay!” Sheila called back. “Hmmm...it looks like the earliest we can get you on a flight is tomorrow afternoon at 1:20.”

Max ran a hand through her hair. “Do I have any other choice?”

“Not unless you want to be on standby, but there’s no guarantee you’ll get on a flight.”

“Shit,” Max hissed. “Fine. I’ll take it.”

* * *

Max returned to Henry’s defeated and annoyed. She’d failed to express how angry she was to everyone but Chloe. She hoped Chloe knew she wasn’t angry  _ at her _ . No, not at all. 

Hesitantly, Chloe began her approach. She came bearing a glass of red wine. “I uh...thought you could use it,” she said, placing the glass on the bar. 

Max grabbed the stem and pulled it toward her. “Thank you,” she said and took a sip. “Sorry about that, Chlo. I didn’t mean to rage at you.”

“No, I get it. I’d be pissed too. I see it all the time around here.”

“I’m not angry at you though. I hope you know that.” 

“I do. No worries, cutie.” She smiled and the rest of the tension Max felt melted away in an instant. Chloe started clearing plates and wiping down an area close to Max. “So, what’s the deal? When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow afternoon.”

Chloe perked up at that. She had the expression Max couldn’t place earlier, and she still couldn’t place it now. 

“Shit, I’m gonna have to book a hotel room.” Max covered her face with her hands for a moment and then picked up her phone to begin the search. 

Slowly, Chloe approached Max. Max didn’t notice her approaching or the smile she wore. Chloe gently removed the phone from Max’s hands and placed it on the bar. She replaced the phone with her hands. 

“I...I should,” Max kept looking at her phone, “I uh…” Her hands felt so good. So warm. She didn’t want to let go but, “I need a place to sleep. I should look,” Max managed to say. 

“You already have a place to sleep,” Chloe said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

“No, I don’t. I checked out of the hotel already. Because I was supposed to leave on a flight today.”

Chloe chuckled and pulled Max’s hands up to her heart where she held them. “No, Max, I’m telling you that you have a place.”

Max was so lost but decided to play along in hopes Chloe would explain. “Okaaaay. Where?”

“With me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement last time! I appreciate all of you. So far, February is much better. I hope you're all doing well, too.


	11. Chapter 11

“Your chariot, m’lady,” Chloe said, opening the truck door for Max. It gave a loud creak in protest which momentarily changed her smirk to a cringe. 

_ I can’t believe I’m doing this. What is life? _

“Thank you,” Max choked out. 

Tentatively, Max slid into the truck seat. Chloe closed the door and got into her side. The truck started with a rumble, and Chloe lit her customary cigarette before putting the truck in gear. They sat silently. Max stared at Chloe while Chloe smiled at the road. 

“W-What are you smiling about?” Max asked, deciding she was uncomfortable with the silence.

“Hmm. I dunno,” she replied mischievously. “Maybe it’s because there’s a girl in my truck that admitted she likes me, and she’s staying the night with me. How could I _ not _smile?”

Max beamed, although a nervousness she had never experienced started building in the pit of her stomach. “Thank you, by the way. For letting me stay.”

“You’re welcome! I’m glad you feel comfortable enough to stay with me. Me casa es su casa!”

Max was far from “comfortable” with staying, but not in a way that would keep her from Chloe’s apartment. The suggestion of it all was heavy in the air. Max hadn’t stopped thinking about the way Chloe looked when she strutted up to her in the lactation room to steal the phone from her hand. The way her hips swayed, the intensity in her eyes, how delicious her lips looked in that confident smirk. It was too much to take in at one time. Then this perfect human asks her to stay the night at her apartment? She was doomed. She really liked being around Chloe, that was a given, but she had never experienced this side of herself. The side of herself that needed physical attention as well. She wanted to kiss Chloe and desperately. Unfortunately, there was no escape for either of them if they were at her apartment. _What if she doesn’t want to be kissed? Or what if she decides I suck at kissing and she doesn’t like me anymore? What if she does like being kissed and she wants…_

_ NO! I can’t do that. _

_ Well… _

_ NO! _

_ Chloe wouldn’t force me into that, would she? _

_ Oh, shit. What is she expecting from this? _

“Rachel’s gonna shit a brick. I’ve talked about you nonstop for weeks. She’ll be stunned I had the balls to ask you over.”

Max shook her head to get the thoughts out. “R-Rachel?”

“Yeah,” her eyes shifted from the road to Max to ensure Max didn’t have a stroke. “My roommate.”

“Of course! Sorry, my brain…I spaced for a second.” _ How could I forget about Rachel! Dog, I was not prepared to meet a new person today. What if she doesn’t like me and then Chloe decides— _

“It’s chill! I get it. We’re going to go pick her up right now, actually. You’ll like her. She’s hella cool.”

* * *

_ Is “hella cool” a colloquialism for “unbelievably hot”? _

“Max! What a surprise!” Rachel exclaimed when she opened the truck door. 

“Rachel, this is Max. Max, Rachel.” Chloe pointed to each respectively before lighting another cigarette. 

Max scooted toward Chloe to make room for Rachel to get in, but her eyes stayed on the beautiful woman entering the truck. Her blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight. When she flipped it back after settling in the truck, Max caught the scent of her perfume in the air. It was something fruity, yet it was rich and sweet. Her thin, toned, and perfect body made Max want to hide under a rock for the rest of her life. When she finished her assessment of Rachel’s body, her eyes landed on Rachel’s perfectly made up face, framed by a blue feather earring, where she was met with a dazzling smile. Everything about her was alluring. 

“It’s great to finally meet the woman Chloe’s been raving about.” Her eyes pierced through Max’s and stared straight into her soul. Max was drawn into the hazel eyes. She wanted to live there. 

_ In the deadlights. _

_ Stop being a dork and focus. Respond maybe? _

Rachel smiled awkwardly and looked to Chloe for an explanation as to why this tiny, freakazoid girl wasn’t able to respond to a simple conversation starter. 

“IT’S GREAT TO MEET YOU TOO!” Max yelled loudly and enthusiastically. 

Rachel pulled back startled, eyes wide. She looked at Chloe as if to ask, “What the fuck is wrong with this chick?” 

“It’s okay, Maxaroni. She’s good people. No need to be nervous,” Chloe cut in, trying to ease the awkwardness. She put her arm around Max, instantly putting Max at ease. She leaned toward Rachel to say, “In my experience, when Max does awkward shit, it means she likes you.”

Rachel giggled. “Okay then.” She tucked her hair behind her ear which showed off her earring. “So what’s the deal? Are we having a sleepover tonight?”

“Hell yes!” Chloe said, pulling Max closer.

“Cool! And where exactly is Max sleeping?” Rachel asked, her voice dripping with suggestion.

“Uhhh…” Chloe’s eyes darted around nervously. “I hadn’t really umm...thought about that.”

Neither had Max. It was more important to simply be with Chloe.

Rachel grinned devilishly, looking between the two women. “Oh, we’re gonna have fun tonight.” Max noticed a glint in her eye that made her instantly uncomfortable.

Max, smashed in between two beautiful women who she had no business existing near, began to regret her decision. Their thighs on her thighs were an overwhelming sensation adding to the cacophony of her thoughts. Her thoughts that Chloe would be better off with Rachel than dating someone like her. 

Chloe shifted uncomfortably and removed her arms from Max’s shoulders. She reached for the gear shift between Max’s knees to put the car in gear so they could head home. Max blushed furiously.

Chloe cleared her throat as she pulled away from the building they had retrieved Rachel from. “So, any luck today, Rach?”

Rachel sighed loudly. “Not sure. I went to several auditions, but you never know, right? They seem like they love you and then you get a call a few days later saying you didn’t get the part.”

“You’ll get your break. I know it! Someone will see how talented you are.”

Max looked over at Rachel and saw her expression soften. Rachel smiled warmly at Chloe. “Thanks, Chlo.”

“W-what do you do, Rachel?” Of course, Max knew the answer to that, but she decided that’s the way she would insert herself into the conversation. If Rachel was so important to Chloe, she had to make a better impression than she was currently making.

Rachel’s warm smile was directed toward Max. She was so lovely. “Chloe doesn’t talk about me much, huh?”

“Oh! N-no she—”

“Relax, hon.” Rachel laughed. “I’m kidding. I’m trying to break into acting or modeling. There’s not much happening in Portland, so Chloe and I are saving up to get to LA. I hear that’s where you’re from.”

“Yeah!” Max responded excitedly. “Even there, it’s hard work.”

“Ugggh! Don’t tell me that, Max.”

“I-it’s because there’s such a...concentration of people trying to do the same thing.”

“Right.” Rachel’s shoulders slumped.

“But,” Max continued, “There are definitely more opportunities there than here. You d-definitely um...have the right look. You have to show them all you can do in a short amount of time. It's tough.”

Rachel turned more toward Max, intrigued. “How do you know all this?”

“I’m a uh...photographer. I’ve had the occasional model or actor wanting photos for their portfolio.”

Rachel’s jaw dropped. Suddenly, she reached over Max and hit Chloe on the shoulder. “You don’t tell me anything, Price! What the hell!?” Max looked over to Chloe who was staring at the road sternly, her lips a thin white line. 

Rachel grabbed Max’s shoulder. “Will you look at my portfolio and tell me what you think?”

“Rach—” Chloe interjected.

“Y-yeah sure," Max answered softly.

Rachel instantly released Max’s shoulder and started digging around in her bag for her portfolio. Max chanced a look at Chloe. She seemed tense, perhaps angry. _ Oh no. I’ve done something wrong. _

Rachel placed her portfolio in Max’s lap and flipped open the cover for her. Max scanned the photos. Rachel was undeniably beautiful in every photo, however, there was something that Max couldn’t help but notice. Rachel, in person and in her photos, had an obvious ferocity. The fires of that ferocity constantly burned in her eyes, yet the photographer seemed to have tamed the ferocity by directing Rachel in a very commercial style. Max knew that there was more here. The photos were good, but they lacked the intensity needed to grab the attention of anyone in LA. 

“These are good,” Max said.

“Do I hear a ‘but’ coming?” Rachel cringed.

“But, honestly, I feel like um...these aren’t a great representation of you. Unless your goal is to be featured in a department store catalog.”

“Shit.” Rachel looked at the passenger’s side window, obviously disappointed. “I spent so much fucking money on those shots.” She grabbed the portfolio and started shoving it back in her bag.

Max frowned and felt bad for providing her opinion at all. “They aren’t at all bad. And you should keep some of them, but you could spice it up here and there with some more complicated and intense shots. I mean...I could take some for you if you want.”

Rachel whipped her head around to face Max. “You would!? Are you sure? That’s a lot of work.”

“It’s no problem,” Max said, smiling. “I’d be happy to help.”

Rachel grabbed Max’s hand. A jolt traveled up Max’s arm at the contact making her want to pull her arm away, but Rachel held on tight. “You’re the best. I knew I was gonna like you! Thank you so much. Chlo, you found a keeper, I think.”

Max felt the heat rising in her cheeks as she looked over at Chloe. She didn’t look pleased at all. In fact, she looked downright pissed off. She gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles were white. Her jaw was tense, her brows furrowed. _ Maybe I shouldn’t have offered. Maybe she doesn’t want me hanging out with Rachel or being friends with Rachel or...something. _

Max glanced at Rachel to see if she was paying attention to Chloe’s mood. She wasn’t. She was messing around on her phone. Hesitantly, Max looked over to Chloe. _ I need to fix this. _

Max placed her shaking left hand on Chloe’s thigh. She felt her leg move, but the movement was imperceptible. Max looked up from her hand on Chloe’s thigh to see a stunned Chloe, yet in the next moment. Chloe removed a hand from the steering wheel and placed a hand over Max’s on her thigh. Chloe’s expression softened but still hadn’t returned to its normal state. She smiled gently and winked. They continued their ride in silence and played with each other’s fingers, memorizing the way they felt. 

* * *

Rachel walked ahead of them. She unlocked the door and flung her bag onto the dining room table. Chloe and Max followed her through the door, hand in hand. “What’s for dinner tonight, Chlo?” Rachel asked.

Chloe cleared her throat. “Not sure yet. I’ll let Max decide.”

“Kay,” she responded. “I have some things to do. If you two decide to get rowdy, give me a heads up, would ya? I can put in my headphones.” Absorbed by her phone, Rachel didn’t give them a chance to respond. She walked into the first door on the left and closed it behind her.

Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose; Max nearly lost consciousness. Chloe gripped her hand tighter. “Come on. I’ll give you a tour. Obviously this area is the kitchen-slash-living-slash-dining area.” Chloe pulled Max farther into the apartment. “As you saw, that is Rachel’s room,” Chloe continued, gesturing to the first door in the hallway. A little farther down the hall she gestured to the room on her right. “And over here we have the bathroom. If you need anything, I’m sure Rachel has it. Straight ahead is my room.” Chloe opened the door to reveal a sizeable room covered in posters of bands and various women. It looked like she had even written on the wall in sharpie. Max hadn’t really imagined what Chloe’s room would look like, but for some reason this made sense. Max dropped Chloe’s hand and looked around to admire. 

“Whoa,” she whispered.

“I know, it’s a lot, but it makes me feel comfortable.”

“No, it’s cool. I like it.” One poster in particular caught Max’s eye. It was brightly colored and seemingly out of place amongst the rest. She walked over to it for a closer look and pulled back a loose poster that covered some of the image to reveal a very busty woman riding a pegasus. 

“What is this!?” Max looked at Chloe, beaming.

“Bite me,” Chloe replied, flipping her off. 

“Aww. Now, what was it you said to me? ‘I won’t yuck your yum’?” While Max cackled, Chloe approached, stone-faced. She pulled Max into her arms and looked deep into her eyes. Max stopped laughing, immediately entranced. Their faces were so close, Max could smell Chloe’s last cigarette on her breath. All she would have to do is lean in and she could get lost in her forever. 

Chloe tucked Max’s hair behind her ear and leaned in close to it. Max felt ready to combust. “If you wanna go down this path, we will, Nerd Queen.” Max shivered. “I seem to recall _ someone _telling me they have a crush on Pris from Bladerunner.”

“Chloe,” Max’s voice shook when she spoke, overwhelmed by Chloe’s closeness. “_You_ told me that. _ You _have a crush on her.” 

“Oh. Well fuck!” Max started giggling. “Well...you got it comin’, Caulfield.” She glared at Max, but Max only found the look adorable.

She released Max from her hold to let her continue browsing. Max had been perusing the walls for a couple minutes when Chloe said, “Hey, Max?”

“Yeah?”

Suddenly, Chloe was at her side. She grabbed Max’s hand and dropped her voice to a whisper. “I’m really sorry. About Rachel.”

“W-What? She seems really nice?”

“I mean...yeah. She is, but you don’t have to do work while you’re here. I didn’t invite you over to help her. Honestly, I can’t believe she—” her voice rose steadily as she spoke. She took a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to. Rachel, she...she has an effect on people. It’s hard to explain, but she has this...pull.”

Max understood. She had felt it. 

“I want you to feel comfortable and relaxed while you’re here. Not like you have to do whatever she wants because she’s my roommate, or that you have to work because you want her to like you.”

_ Damn, she is so sweet. _

Max squeezed Chloe’s hand. “Thank you, but I really am happy to do it. Plus, maybe I’m doing it for selfish reasons.”

Chloe furrowed her brow. “Huh?”

“Maybe if I help her, she’ll get a job, and you guys can move down to LA and…” Max smiled.

“Oooooh. Get over here, you!” Chloe pulled her into a tight hug, and Max breathed her in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. It's me. 
> 
> I'm fine. Are you fine?
> 
> This is me attempting to not apologize for taking so long. 
> 
> Fail. 
> 
> I hope you all are well. Stay safe out there. When's the last time you washed your hands?
> 
> I've decided on how this story is gonna go, by the way. I have some goodies in store for you. Thank you for sticking with me! 
> 
> Fun Fact: I've always imagined Rachel smelling life Forever Red from Bath & Body Works. If you were wondering what I was getting at with the way she smelled, it was that.
> 
> Also, I really want to be more active on tumblr. I'm horrible at all things social media because it's hard to tell myself that anything I have to say is important, BUT if you're on tumblr, I'd love to see you there. I need people to tag in posts and shit. You know. If not, Letters is gonna have to hear from me more than usual. Save him. 
> 
> Come see me. I'm @yourscrumptioustrashbouquet
> 
> A big thank you to Letters and Adder once again. Adder just finished What the Future Holds today! A great time to read it now that it's all finished. Go. Be free.


	12. Chapter 12

Chloe led Max to the couch and placed her there with the TV remote. She flipped through the channels and settled on _Law & Order: Special Victims Unit_. 

_ Aaah yes, you can always rely on this to be on somewhere. Don’t fuck with Olivia Benson! Dun, dun! _

A few moments later, Chloe returned to her with a glass of wine. She held it out to Max and sat on the arm of the couch before she said, “Thought you could use it. You’ve had a rough day.”

Max eyed Chloe suspiciously. Max shook the thought from her head. “Thanks, Chloe. Wait a second! You should have one too! You must be exhausted. You were up all night and worked all day!”

“Nah, I’ll be okay. I’m used to it.” Chloe winked at Max and headed back to the kitchen.

Just then, Max heard a door close behind her. Rachel plopped onto the other end of the couch and looked up from her phone. “Oooh, Chlo! Can I get one of those?” Rachel called.

“What?” Chloe shouted back.

“Whatever Max has. I want!”

Max heard Chloe sigh, but if Rachel heard it, she didn’t acknowledge it. Max sipped her wine and tried to focus on the episode. When Chloe brought her the wine, she didn’t even thank her. It bothered Max. Something wasn’t right.

Max tried not to give Rachel a stern look when she got up from the couch and went to the kitchen. “Hey, can I help with something?”

Chloe finished chopping a bell pepper and put the knife down on the cutting board. She tilted her head and tried to act annoyed. “What are you doing?” She tried to be stern but her smile betrayed her. “Go! Couch! Sit!”

“But I can—”

“Get your bony, white ass in there,” she said through clenched teeth, her eyes wide in feigned anger.

Max smiled and said, “Okaaay. Thank you again, Chlo.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Max returned to the couch where Rachel was still engrossed in her phone.  _ What could be so fucking important on that thing?  _ She tried to get caught up in the episode of Law & Order once more. 

“So...Max.” Rachel had put her phone down. When Max looked at her, she had one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed.

_ Oh, shit. Have I done something? _

“What exactly are your intentions with my Chloe?”

Never, not in a million years, would Max have imagined that she was the jealous type, but that...that did it.  _ I want her to be  _ my  _ Chloe.  _

She felt so strongly, but all she could do was stammer an incoherent response. As Max attempted to speak, Rachel’s stern look turned into a smile. She finally interrupted Max with a giggle, “Hey, relax! I’m just messing with you.”

“O-oh, heh,” Max said with a gulp. 

“You’re cute. Just like she said,” Rachel smirked. 

“S-She said I was cute?” Max asked hopefully. 

“Duh!” Rachel scanned Max making her feel every single imperfection and every insecurity she’d ever had. Rachel, on the other hand, was absolutely flawless. 

Max took a sip of wine for something to do, frantically eyeing Rachel waiting for her to say something. 

Rachel reached over and placed her hand gently on Max’s arm before taking a sip of her own wine. “You look nervous,” she said after a gulp.

Max tried to shake her head but it probably looked more like a spasm. She returned the wine glass to her lips. 

“What are you nervous about?” She began rubbing Max’s arm in what was probably supposed to be a soothing motion.

Max shrugged. She felt like she was being lured into Rachel. Max, the wary sailor, Rachel, the alluring Siren. Max was attracted to her. How could she not be? She was only human after all. While enticing, she knew this wasn’t something she wanted. The contact made Max feel tense and uncomfortable.

Rachel sighed. “So you’re a super cute, extremely shy photographer from Los Angeles and somehow you’re still single? How can that be?”

_ Single-ish. Also, should you be answering? _

Rachel continued. “So many questions! Hmm, where to start?” After a few moments of silence and a sip of wine, Rachel gave Max a devilish smile. “Why didn’t your last relationship work out?”

“I-I’ve never um...had a relationship.”

“That's a lie,” she responded with certainty. 

Max wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. “I-I really haven’t.”

“Have you ever been on a date?” Rachel pushed.

Max started trembling. “Yes,” she said, barely above a whisper. 

Rachel’s grin fell. She scooted closer to Max, seeming to realize at last how uncomfortable she was making Max feel. “Hey, hey,” she soothed. She looked up to Chloe working in the kitchen with fear. “I’m sorry.” Rachel put her hand on Max’s thigh, and Max quickly tried to jerk away. 

Max wanted badly to get away from her, but she didn’t know where to go. She didn’t want to upset Rachel either. The whole thing felt so embarrassing. 

Rachel moved her hand away. “I didn’t mean to...I just wanted to get you talking. A lot of people like to take the opportunity to talk shit when you ask them about exes.”

Max nodded in response. 

“I’m sorry for pushing. It’s clear whatever happened wasn’t a good time.”

Max shook her head. 

“Well, Max, you really lucked out. She’s the realest person. What you see is what you get with her, which is why we are such great friends. She’s sweet, sassy, and strong. She would never hurt you.”

That got Max to smile. “I know.”

Rachel giggled. “She said you had a beautiful smile, too.” Max’s face burned with embarrassment. “Aaaawww, don’t be embarrassed!”

Max found her voice. “I’m sorry. You-you’re really...overwhelming.” 

“I get that a lot,” Rachel chuckled. “I’ve been told I’m really touchy-feely, too. Sorry for making you uncomfortable.”

“It’s okay.”

“Do you want some more wine?”

“No, thank you.”

“Okay. Well, I’m gonna get some more. Just to give you a heads up, I was planning on asking you about every detail from your date last night. Chloe was surprisingly tight-lipped about the whole thing. Do you want to talk about it?”

Max smiled timidly, “Sure.”

* * *

To Max’s surprise, Rachel was very easy to talk to once she quit treating her like prey. She, at least, was very good at acting like she was interested. Max felt important when she was speaking, a really odd feeling for her in general. 

“And we almost…kissed. I think.” Max was surprised she divulged that at all, but it was out before she could stop it. 

“What happened?” Rachel was hanging on her every word. 

“I dunno. We were interrupted by this old couple walking by. The old woman said she wished she still had a best friend like us, and it made us laugh. We didn’t really go back to it. It’s probably for the best.”

“That’s hilarious, oh my god.” Rachel covered her face with her hand. “Why is it for the best? I would think a kiss would be the best case scenario.”

Max felt the heat rise in her cheeks once more.  _ If science ever figured out how to harness my blush reaction, I could power the fucking world. Jesus Christ.  _

“I...I haven’t…” Max huffed. “You know—“

“You’ve never been kissed before,” Rachel finished.

Max let out a strangled noise involuntarily.  _ She must think I’m the most ridiculous person.  _

Determination appeared in Rachel’s eyes and shame appeared in Max’s. “Okay, it’s really simple, I promise.”

Max seriously doubted that.

Rachel squared up with Max, grabbing her shoulders and sitting up straight. “All you have to do,” she said, “Is relax your lips and part them a bit. None of that smoochy shit, you got me?”

Max nodded in understanding.

“You don’t want your mouth OPEN open, okay, but like...seductively open.”

Max’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

“It was explained to me once, but it sounds super lame. It would be so much easier to just show you.”

Max froze, Rachel laughed. “You’re way too easy. Not that I wouldn’t kiss you, to be clear. Okay, so have you ever had a Hershey’s Chocolate Kiss before?”

“O-of course.”

“You want your mouth open just enough to hold the pointy end between your lips. Anymore than that, and things might get sloppy. Unless you want them to. It also makes your lips look plump. Try it.”

_ This feels SO fucking stupid. She’s probably doing this to make fun of you so her and Chloe can laugh about it later.  _

Yet, Max took the advice. Who was she to argue. She imagined the chocolate kiss and holding it between her lips.

With her eyes wide and her lips in the best form she could muster, she looked at Rachel for approval.

Rachel’s eyes shimmered in the light from the kitchen. “Jesus, Max,” she whispered. “How has she been able to hold back from you?”

Max looked down to her lap and blushed once again, unable to hold Rachel’s intense gaze. “You’re just saying that. Thanks, though.”   


“I’m really not.” Rachel grabbed Max’s chin and lifted it so Max had to look into her eyes once more. “You’re beautiful. I’ve never seen her so excited about someone the entire time we’ve been friends. I finally understand why.”

There was a long silence between them before Rachel heaved a sigh. “Well, Max, prepare yourself. It’s happening. You‘re getting your first kiss tonight.” 

“W-wuuuu—“

“DINNER!” Chloe called from the kitchen. 

Rachel’s sly smile frightened her. Rachel got up from the couch and yanked Max up and to the dining room table.

The round table had been set. Chloe had set it with paper plates and paper towels for napkins with a fork and knife on either side. Max smiled knowing this elaborate set up was for her. Rachel placed Max in a seat and then sat across the table from her so Chloe would have to sit in between them.

Max wrung her hands in her lap, her shoulders tensed around her ears, looking at Rachel, pleading with her, not to do anything drastic.  _ Maybe she won’t want to kiss me because I don’t know how. Or worse, what if she doesn’t want to kiss me at all?! She likes me, I like her, but what if she doesn’t like kisses? That’s a thing right? _

During her internal freak out, Chloe had placed a bowl of salad and a plate of chicken on the table. “Alright, ladies we’ve got a salad, the dressing made by me, and Parmesan crusted chicken.”

“Yaaaasss, I knew it!” Rachel exclaimed. “Max, this is the best chicken you’ll ever have, trust me.”

“It’s no big deal. It’s a super simple recipe.”

“Quit being modest. It’s  _ so  _ good,” Rachel said, reaching over the salad bowl to stab a piece of chicken with her fork. 

“Help yourself,” Chloe said, smiling and gesturing to the food. “Have as much as you’d like.”

Max hesitantly reached toward the chicken and started serving herself. Chloe followed suit. Rachel was already tearing into her food. 

“GAWD THIS IS SO GOOD!” Rachel groaned loudly. 

Max tried the salad first, and it was perfect. The dressing Chloe made was light, vinegary, and not too sweet. She looked over at Chloe dreamily. Chloe smiled back warmly. Max grabbed her knife and cut into her chicken. Rachel wasn’t kidding. It was absolutely incredible food. 

“Chlo, I know that look. Right now she’s thinking about marrying you.” Rachel said. 

Chloe coughed, and Max didn’t hear because she was too busy enjoying the food. 

“Chloe. This is probably the best meal I’ve ever had,” Max said wholeheartedly. 

“Like I said, no big deal,” Chloe minimized, though she looked happy to have Max’s approval. 

The three didn’t speak for the next few minutes. Max and Chloe shared glances, and whenever Max looked at Rachel, it looked as if Rachel knew exactly what was going on. 

Rachel cleared her throat, “Chlo, I texted Nathan. He’s going to take me to work tomorrow so you don’t have to.”

“Nice! I can sleep in!”

“Heh, yeah. Maybe.” Rachel wiggled her eyebrows. Chloe scowled at her.

“By the way, since you were so quiet this morning about the date you two went on last night, I had to get all the details from poor Max.” 

Chloe’s frown deepened. “Rach, cool it will you?”

“She informed me that you were the perfect gentleman.”

“O-oh. That’s good.” Chloe looked at Max and smiled awkwardly. 

“And that you still suck at putt-putt.”

Chloe scowled. “Yep.”

Rachel seemed to be pushing all of Chloe’s buttons. It was like watching a child mashing all of the keys on a keyboard. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t kiss her.”

Chloe choked on her food. Rachel got up from her seat having finished her meal and placed her silverware in the sink. Chloe seethed, gripping her knife tightly. Max couldn’t bear to look at anyone. 

Max heard Rachel pouring another glass of wine. “You guys wanna watch a movie? I’m picking.”

* * *

The three approached the couch to settle in for whatever movie Rachel wanted to watch. Max went for the end of the couch, but Rachel grabbed her wrist and forced her to sit in between her and Chloe. Rachel quickly queued up a movie called The Conjuring 2. Max wasn’t a fan of horror, but she wasn’t going to argue. 

“Oh, come on, Rach! I’m so SICK of horror. You never choose anything cool.”

“Oh, yeah, and I’m sure you would’ve picked something better.”

“Um yeah! Like literally anything is better than this.”

Max laughed at their bickering. “I’m okay with it, Rachel.”

Chloe leaned over Max to fully face Rachel. “She’s just being nice because she wants you to like her.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Whatever. That’s not true is it, Maxi?”

“No!” Max said quickly.

“See!”

“That proves NOTHING!” Chloe retorted.

“Alright, alright, shush! It’s starting,” Rachel said. 

Chloe settled into the couch with a huff while Rachel looked smug. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was extremely difficult to focus on the movie while sitting between the two women. Max felt an energy coming from Rachel, and Chloe’s leg was pressed against hers. About 20 minutes into the movie, Chloe seemed to be genuinely interested and focused, so Rachel inconspicuously moved in closer to Max. 

When Max felt Rachel’s breath on her ear, it sent chills down her spine. The smell of wine overwhelmed Max’s senses. Rachel whispered, “I’m gonna poke the bear. Just go with whatever I do, got it?”

She nodded gently even though she was really frightened.

_ Shit. I have a feeling I’m not going to like what’s about to happen.  _ Max tried her best to return her attention to the movie, though she was slightly confused because she hadn’t really been paying attention in the first place.  _ What the hell is this? Ghosts? Exorcism? Is this really a true story? The fuck? _

Rachel yawned very loudly and dramatically, so Max looked at her to see what her issue was. Rachel’s hands were above her head, and when they came down, her arm wrapped around Max’s shoulders. Max stiffened as Rachel pulled her closer.

Chloe visibly bristled once she saw what Rachel was doing. She cleared her throat. “Rachel...what are you doing?” It was clear she was anything but okay with what was happening. 

“Max looked scared,” she said innocently. 

“Horse shit. You’re not scared are you, Max?”

To be frank, she actually was. She had no idea what the hell Rachel was doing or why. While Rachel had Chloe’s attention, Rachel nuzzled into Max’s neck. “Mmm, you smell nice,” she said softly. Max looked at Chloe, horrified. She shifted uncomfortably and pleaded with her eyes for Chloe to help her. 

“Rachel,” she was trying to be calm but her voice cracked when she spoke. “Would you mind removing yourself from  ** _MY_ ** girlfriend please?”

Max’s eyes couldn’t possibly get any wider than they already were.  _ YESYESYESYESYESYESYES!!!  _

“Girlfriend, huh? One that you don’t even kiss?” Rachel grinned. 

Chloe’s face went red in fury. She leaned over Max again. “I know what you’re doing. It’s not gonna work. Not this time.” She yanked Max out of Rachel’s grasp and wrapped an arm around her protectively. 

“That’s what you think,” Rachel muttered under her breath. 

The tension in the room was unbearable. Chloe was obviously furious but was still trying to watch the movie, probably trying to keep things calm for Max’s sake. Her breathing was heavy and she bounced her leg up and down. Max began to worry that maybe Chloe was mad at her, but she didn’t want to say anything in front of Rachel. 

Instead, she leaned her head onto Chloe’s shoulder like she did the night before and tentatively placed a hand on Chloe’s thigh. Her bouncing leg slowed and eventually stopped. The tension left her shoulders. Chloe shifted a bit so their bodies fit together a bit better. She had a perfectly Max-shaped space next to her. 

_ Damn, this feels sooooo nice.  _ She snuggled into Chloe even more. As she settled in, she realized it felt like she hadn’t  _ really  _ been able to talk to Chloe today. They talked while she worked, they had a few minutes in the car, and then Rachel. She was even the main topic of conversation during the tour. Rachel had been holding their attention hostage for hours now. She missed her.

A loud noise from the movie made Max jump and turn herself further into Chloe. Chloe reacted by giggling and holding her tighter. It was then she realized that Chloe was still wearing her black, button down work shirt, pants, and shoes.

_ She hasn’t had one second to relax. She’s worked all goddamn day and then slaved away in the kitchen at home. Now she’s getting shit from Rachel. Last night was perfect. I wouldn’t change a single thing about it.  _

_ I’m so sorry, Chloe.  _

Max looked up to Chloe’s face. She admired her jawline, her cheekbones, the way her brow furrowed when she concentrated, her sparkling blue eyes. Max didn’t pay a bit of attention to the rest of the movie. She would look at the screen if Chloe glanced at her, but then she would just go right back.  _ You’re so fucking beautiful, Chloe Price.  _

Rachel yawned exaggeratedly one more time. “Well, I’m off to bed, lovebirds. I’ll leave my earbuds in so you can be as loud as you want.” Rachel winked at Max when her head swung around in astonishment. 

“Fucking can it, Amber!” Chloe roared, flipping her off. Yet, Rachel closed her door with a smile. They sat in silence, not moving from their position on the couch. 

“I’m so fucking sorry, Max,” Chloe said after a few minutes. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” It came out a bit dreamily. Max resigned herself to the fact that she probably wouldn’t ever be able to speak normally to Chloe at any point. She was too beautiful. 

“Yes, I do. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, okay? Especially when it comes to Rachel.”

“It’s my fault. I-I told her about the date.”

“If you wanted to tell her about it, that’s great! What isn’t great is when you don’t want to do something but forces you into situations. She has no problem inserting herself. I want you to know that it’s just us. We do what we want to do. It’s very important to me that you’re comfortable. I have to ask, though. Are you...disappointed about yesterday?”

“No! It was perfect!” Max couldn’t help herself. She reached up to grab the collar of Chloe’s shirt. She used it as leverage to reach her face. Max softly placed her lips on Chloe’s cheek. Shocked and embarrassed by her own actions, Max tried to leap away from Chloe, but Chloe reacted quicker, keeping a tight hold on Max. 

“S-sorry,” Max stammered. She covered her lips with her fingers. 

“I’m not,” Chloe replied. 

* * *

“Is it okay if I go and brush my teeth and stuff?”

Chloe had led Max back to her room, obviously ready to crash for the night. The dark circles under her eyes became more pronounced as the day went on. She had yawned twice just in the walk down the hall to her room. 

“Oh yeah! Of course. Don’t have to ask,” she said before yawning once more. Max grabbed some things from her suitcase before heading to the bathroom. Not before giving Chloe one last look. Chloe smiled and winked at her before she departed. 

When Max came back, Chloe had made the bed. The stray clothes were removed and were now on the floor. Her comforter had been straightened and smoothed. Chloe wore only a pair of boxer shorts and a black t-shirt that said Rock Chick. 

“The bed’s all set up for you,” Chloe said, wrapping her arms around Max. “Goodnight. If you need anything, I’ll be on the couch.” She placed a quick kiss in her hair before she released Max and headed toward the door. 

“No way!” Max shouted. “No, you should sleep in your own bed. I can sleep on the couch.”

Chloe chuckled softly. “I can’t let you do that, Maximus. You’re my guest. That’s not how you treat a guest. Especially not the cute ones.” Chloe approached Max once again, taking her into her arms and tucking the hair behind Max’s ear.  _ She seems to like doing that. I do too.  _

“Why can’t we just...sleep together?” Max asked, ashamed. She looked at the floor. “There’s nothing wrong with it right. I mean, why would we not? Do you not want to or…”Max continued to ramble on and Chloe let her go so she could get it all out of her system. 

When Max stopped for a breath, Chloe said, “Hey, hey, I was trying to keep you comfortable. Sleeping in the same bed has certain...connotations, and I didn’t want to pressure you at all.” 

“Oh...well, okay, yes I’m nervous but not in a bad way. I know I can trust you. Plus, you’re my girlfriend, right? You wouldn’t hurt me.” Max beamed at Chloe. 

“Heard that, did ya? It kinda slipped out of my mouth.”

“Yes, I heard it. Liked the sound of it.”

“Me too,” Chloe said softly. She brushed Max’s cheek with her thumb. Max tilted her head up and met Chloe’s eyes where she felt instantly lost. There was a glint in her exhausted eyes as she bit her lip. The view left Max completely breathless. 

“Can I...kiss you?” Chloe whispered. 

“I’ve never…” she couldn’t find the words. “Yes. Please.”

Any advice Rachel gave Max flew straight out the window when Chloe pressed her lips to Max’s. It filled her with warmth, and she never wanted to be parted from the source. She wrapped her arms around Chloe’s neck to pull herself flush against Chloe’s chest. The action caused Chloe to groan into Max’s mouth, sending shivers down her spine. Everything began feeling fuzzy and Max’s vision swam. She began moving her mouth as Chloe did which made the kiss even more intense. 

They broke apart for air. “Wowser,” Max said breathlessly. 

Chloe laughed and leaned down to place kisses on Max’s neck. “You okay?” she whispered softly into Max’s ear.

Max shivered once more. “H-hella.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> I hope you're all doing okay. I want all of you to be safe, so wash your hands and stay home please. I know, it makes me insane too. I literally got the urge to shave my head the other day. Why? I don't fucking know. I've also had a number of other bad ideas that luckily I waited on. I considered texting a high school friend to tell her I was sorry I didn't understand my gay feelings at the time and took it out on her. 
> 
> Woof. Not a good plan. 
> 
> Sooooo, at the end of the 12th chapter, you finally got what you've been waiting for. Sorry, I didn't realize I dragged it out that long. #sorrynotsorry
> 
> I may begin working on another project soon, but I'll keep up with this too. Swear it. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading!!
> 
> P.S. I actually love The Conjuring 2. It's my favorite in the Conjuring Universe. BILL WILKINS!


	13. Chapter 13

The sound of birds chirping and sun beaming in from the window created an environment unsuitable for sleeping, for Max at least. She rubbed her face on the pillow in frustration before opening her eyes to discover she wasn’t in her own apartment.  _ Oh yeah! _ Quickly she looked behind her to see Chloe, her blue hair covering her eyes and splayed across her pillow. She had pulled the blanket up around her mouth but it didn’t soften the noise of her gentle snoring. Max smiled and tried to resist the urge to grab her camera and treat Chloe like a precious pet.  _ Dog, she’s so cute!  _

After their kiss, Chloe led Max to her bed. Once they were laying down, Chloe fell asleep almost instantly. Max, however, was so amped it took her forever to fall asleep. After much tossing and turning, Max’s mind began to settle. That was until Chloe threw an arm over Max and pulled Max into her. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, and it was too much for her brain to handle. She felt like she was vibrating and was WAY too excited to sleep.  _ I’ll never sleep again if it means I get to feel like that forever.  _

Max attempted to settle back into bed so she didn’t disturb Chloe and her cuteness when, suddenly, earth-shattering bass shook the walls of Chloe’s bedroom. Max sprang up with a start. She didn’t recognize the song until the chorus. 

** _I-I-I WANNA GO-O-O ALL THE WAY-AY-AY_ **

** _TAKIN OUT MY FREAK TONIGHT _ **

** _I-I-I WANNA SHOW-OW-OW _ **

** _ALL THE DIR-IR-IRT I GOT RUNNIN THROUGH MY MIIIIIIIIND_ **

She looked over at Chloe who had clam-shelled her pillow over her ears. “GAAAAAHHH!” she shouted. Max tried not to laugh when Chloe reached over to her nightstand, grabbed a box of tissues, and launched them at the ceiling. “FUCK YOU, JUSTIN, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” she bellowed at the top of her lungs. Max cowered at the outburst, a bit frightened. 

Chloe yawned and rubbed her eyes, grumbling something unintelligible. Max looked on, the initial fright now gone, trying not to laugh.  _ How did the universe create someone so adorable and… _

“Oh shit! Max! Hi! I totally forgot you were here.”  She crawled closer to Max, sat up beside her  and put her arm over Max’s shoulders. “Morning,” she said, suave as hell. 

“Morning,” Max giggled. 

“I’m so, so sorry. My neighbor upstairs, Justin, is a real dick sometimes. I’ll go up there and kick his ass!”

“It’s okay, Chlo. I woke up just before he started...whatever this is.”

“It’s an extremely obnoxious Britney Spears obsession. That’s what it is.” Both of the women laughed. Once composed, Chloe smiled warmly. “You look cute when you wake up.” 

“You do too,” Max said shyly. “And when you’re sleeping.”

Chloe’s smile quirked. “Were you watching me sleep, Caulfield?”

Max’s eyes widened in shock. “N-no! No! I just looked at you really quick because I forgot where I was and then I remembered and was really excited and happy and—“

“Mmmhmm. Caulfield’s a lil creep!” She poked Max’s side with her finger and found Max was particularly sensitive there. “Ooooooh, what’s this?” She held Max tightly to her and poked Max again causing a yelp and a giggle. “Hmm. What valuable information! You won’t know when. You won’t know where, but I’m comin’ for you, girlfriend.”

“You wouldn’t,” Max said, grinning and crossing her arms.

“Wanna bet?”

Max shook her head quickly in response.

“Uh huh. That’s what I thought.” She winked at Max. “So, Maxi, when you gotta be back at PDX?” she asked, yawning.

“Around eleven,” Max frowned.

Chloe frowned too. “Sure you don’t just wanna...y’know...stay forever?” Chloe pleaded and used her secret weapon.

“I wish I could, but I have to get back to work. Oh dog, don’t look at me like that!” Max covered her eyes. 

“Heh heh. My master plan is working. Naw, babe, I get it. Gotta make that paper.” She rolled out of bed and stretched. Max may or may not have watched her thigh muscles and her butt cheeks clench. No, she definitely didn’t. 

Chloe gave her a knowing smirk when she turned around to speak. “I’m gonna hit the shower. I’m disgusting from yesterday. I’ll do that and then make you some breakfast, cool?

“Y-yeah,” Max replied, dazed. “Or you can let me take you out. You took care of me and Rachel last night even when you were exhausted. I owe you big time.”

Chloe paused in the doorway, her hands gripping the frame. “I’ll accept, only if you don’t feel like you owe me anything. Only because you want to.”

“Oh, I definitely want to. Sorry.”

Chloe turned, crossed her arms, and leaned against the door frame. “No apologies. I just don’t want anyone thinking I’m using you. Especially not you.”

“Of course I don’t think that! I just...want to take care of you too. Because, well, you’re my girlfriend.”

Chloe chuckled, “Awesome. Has a ring to it doesn’t it?” Max nodded in response, grinning ear to ear. Chloe winked and started making her way to the bathroom to shower. Chloe had an undeniably sexy strut. Poor Max couldn’t help but watch as she walked down the hall to the bathroom. 

“Why don’t you take a picture, Caulfield!”

* * *

The Los Angeles heat was already kicking it into high gear early that morning. Despite the heat, Kate sat out on her family’s front porch and enjoyed a cup of tea while she sketched in her journal. She figured this would help get her mind off the events of the last few days, but she was still very distracted. She couldn’t get the doe she was drawing quite right, so she scribbled it out in frustration. She threw down her pencil and dropped the journal into her lap. She went to sip her tea and discovered it had cooled significantly. 

She’d been out here longer than she’d intended. She needed to get to the church to clean before the next day’s services. They paid her $50 a week to do it. It wasn’t much, but it could feed her, her mom, and her two sisters for the week if they shopped at the Pick n’ Save. Kate knew she deserved more money for cleaning the mega church, but she was in no position to negotiate. 

Since her father died three years ago, she and her sisters, Lynn and Leah, had to step up to do everything they could to save their home and to keep them all afloat. Their mother, Rebecca, was pretty much useless. All she did was go to church, Bible study, and the occasional bridge game with some ladies from church. After Richard died, Rebecca didn’t speak for close to 4 months. She sat in her bedroom, silently rocking in her chair by the window. She only used the bathroom, ate, or bathed when one of her daughters attended to her. Kate would never forgive her for her behavior. They were all grieving and suffering, and Rebecca, for the first time Kate had ever seen, acted like she actually loved Richad Marsh. Rebecca sobbed during the funeral and even interrupted the pastor by crying out and wailing at points. Kate wondered if they were cries of sadness or cries of happiness for her newfound freedom. 

She discovered in her late childhood that they fought with each other nightly, and when they got too loud, she made sure her sisters were distracted, which got harder as they got older. Richard and Rebecca bickered constantly, even in public. They fought about things as important as how to save money to things as insignificant as whether they should get smoked or honey ham from the grocery store. When Kate was desperate to forget about their arguments, she imagined what it would be like if they got divorced and her and her sisters could go live with their dad far, far away from their mother. However, the church viewed divorce as breaking an oath to god, therefore it was completely out of the question. Instead, they went to counseling with the pastor, tried numerous church groups for married couples, and every summer they went to a “couples retreat.” 

It never worked. They fought until the day he died. He was scooping coffee into the coffee maker one morning after a particularly long row and collapsed. Kate had found him on the floor, not breathing, no pulse. The coarsely ground coffee beans scattered on the floor cut into her knees while she tried to shake him awake. Paramedics came and managed to get his heart beating, but he was without oxygen for too long. He showed little brain activity, and the doctor informed the family the chances of him recovering were slim. Her mother decided to “pull the plug” a mere 3 days after his heart attack. And so began Kate’s personal descent into hell.

She took care of her mother and her precious, innocent sisters. She got a couple of jobs and managed to finish art school. Lynn and Leah took care of Rebecca most of the time while they tried to get by in school. Now, Lynn was old enough to have a job too. She got a job at a convenience store down the road. Lynn’s employee discount came in handy quite often when they were coming up short for bills. 

Kate got her job at Chiaroscuro soon after college, which was a big break for the family. She was trying her hardest to get her mom to concede custody of Lynn and Leah to her so that she could legally be in charge of them, but also so they could have Kate’s health insurance. She didn’t care about her mother. She hadn’t done a thing for them their entire lives, and it felt even worse now. Pretending like she had not a single problem in the world, Rebecca continued on about her life like nothing had happened. Kate wanted nothing more than to be away from her, but she stayed because there was no way she was leaving her sisters there. 

“Kate!”

Startled, Kate swiveled in her char to the front door to see Lynn standing there looking frightened. “Katie, I think mom is having an  _ episode _ .” 

“Where is she?” Kate asked, getting up without hesitation.

“Your room,” Lynn replied urgently. 

Kate ran up the stairs and down the hall to her room. There was a large cardboard box placed on her bed filled with various items, including a picture of Kate and Richard together, smiling and happy. “Mother, what are you doing?!” Kate removed the framed picture from the box and held it tightly to her chest.  _ You can take anything from me. Just not this. Not this. _

Rebecca sighed, still collecting more items from around the room. “I woke up this morning and thought to myself, ‘If Jesus came into this house today, would he be happy with what he saw?’” She threw a ceramic bunny into the box which most definitely broke. 

“Lynn, has she taken anything from yours or Leah’s room?” Lynn shook her head in response, looking on in complete awe.

“Did you take anything from any room other than mine?” Kate asked sharply. 

“Why would I do that?” Rebecca cackled. “The only sinner in this house is YOU!”

It happened faster than she processed it. Rebecca picked up Kate’s camera from her desk, took it in both hands, raised her arms, and threw it onto the ground with as much force as she could muster. 

Lynn and Kate gasped simultaneously, watching as bits and pieces flew around the room. It was the only camera she had. The one her father had purchased for her to use in art school. It was more than that now. It was her job, their livelihood. 

Leah had come to see what had happened and wrapped her arms around a now crying Lynn. Kate felt nothing. Numb. Silently, she ushered her sisters from the doorway and closed the door behind her. She approached her mother slowly who was now going through her small collection of books looking for a blasphemous title. Kate wanted to hit her, make her hurt.

Kate knelt down to pick up the shattered camera, placing the picture of her and her father on the floor next to it and gathered as many of the pieces as she could.  _ See what she’s done, Dad? Why did you leave us? _

“I think Jesus would be much happier with us now,” Rebecca said, satisfied.

Kate was holding back tears now. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. You and I both know you, can’t afford that, mom.” Rebecca scoffed as she collected the box and opened the door to the hall.

“I’m going to take them away from here. Far away. And you’ll have nothing,” Kate called after her. 

“I’d like to see you try.” Rebecca slammed the door shut.

_ Lord, help me please.  _

She prayed and cried there on the floor. She stood up with the pieces of her camera and placed them on her desk.  _ What is Mr. Jefferson going to say?  _ She swept up the glass and then grabbed her bookbag and the picture of her and her dad from the floor. She’d thought about it many times.  _ He knew she was this crazy. How could he keep us here with her? Why would he leave us with this disaster of a human being as a mother?  _

It occurred to her that her father had never fathomed what would happen if he died. Why have a plan when God has one of his own? 

_ God certainly isn’t going to use his magic hand to pluck us from our home and place us where he wants us to be. We have to get there. I have to get us there.  _

* * *

  
**Kate: ** Are you back yet? You didn’t text me.

**Kate: ** Which is totally fine. Just need some advice when you get a second.

_ Shit! _

**Max:** Flight got canceled yesterday so I stayed with Chloe. :D I’m so sorry!

**Kate: ** No worries! Sounds like we have A LOT to talk about ;)

**Max:** Maybeeeee. Call you when I get home? Should be around 4 or so.

**Kate:** Sounds good. Have a safe flight!

**Max:** <3

“That was Kate. Said she needed some advice,” Max told Chloe.

“You tell me if it’s that Victoria bitch. I’m keeping a list of reasons to kick her ass.”

Max laughed. “Of course, I’ll let you know.”

“Good.” Chloe reached across the truck seat. “You’re so far away!”

“I’m sitting in the passenger’s seat!”   


“You see, Maximus, that’s the great thing about bench seats. You can sit  _ anywhere _ on the bench, including next to your girlfriend. Slide your skinny booty over here! Now!”

Max rolled her eyes, unbuckled her seatbelt, and made sure Chloe knew just how difficult it was to slide  _ all the way _ across the truck seat.

“Stop bein’ a drama queen, you dork. See? Doesn’t that feel better?” Chloe had wrapped her arm around Max and tugged her as close as she possibly could.

“Yeah,” Max agreed. She rested her head on Chloe’s shoulder and breathed her in.  _ I AM a fuckin creep, but I have an addiction.  _ “You smell so good,” she accidentally said aloud.

“So do you.”

They stayed that way even after Chloe parked her truck in the drop off line at the airport. People would get pissed eventually.  _ Fuck em _ . “I can’t believe this is over. Again,” Chloe said. 

“I know.” Max refused to move from Chloe’s side. There was something she wanted desperately, and she refused to leave Chloe until she had it. She wanted to ask several times over breakfast but it never seemed right. Instead, the tension between them had been building all morning, at least from Max’s perspective. When their hands brushed when reaching for the pancake syrup, when Chloe’s knees bumped hers under the table, when Chloe smirked at her over her coffee mug. Max wanted to kiss her again so bad, but Chloe hadn't initiated one. Max pouted into Chloe’s shoulder.  _ Maybe I should just go for it?  _

Delicately, Chloe placed her finger tips on Max’s chin. They guided Max’s face upwards where her lips were met with Chloe’s. It began gently until Max practically insisted that it become deeper. She kept balanced with her left hand and leaned into Chloe, grabbing the nape of her neck with her right. Max felt Chloe gasp at the intensity. Max still had no idea what she was doing, but neither of them seemed to care very much.

Max pulled away for breath. Both of them sat staring at each other, eyes glossy with longing. “Are—” Chloe choked. “Are sure you have to go?”

Max’s chest continued heaving. “No,” she said before leaning in once more. Chloe met her with equal fervor. Chloe was prepared for the intensity this time. Her hands went to Max’s neck and held her in place so she could take control. Chloe assumed Max probably didn’t know she was doing it, but occasionally, she was nipping at Chloe’s bottom lip. Determined, Chloe showed Max just how good that felt. She took Max’s lower lip carefully between her teeth and pulled away from her slowly. Max groaned deeply, her eyes closed at the sensation.

“If you want a kiss, you can just go for it, by the way. Don’t think I haven’t seen you pouting all morning,” Chloe chuckled.

“Okay,” Max said breathlessly. Her body was vibrating against Chloe’s. She felt so light she was sure she’d float away if Chloe let go. She leaned forward and kissed Chloe once more, short and sweet. 

“I...I gotta get going,” Max squeaked.

“I know.” Chloe tucked Max’s hair behind her ear. It was such an intimate gesture that only Chloe had ever done. Max loved it. Chloe leaned in and kissed her one more time. It was more final but left them both longing for the other. They looked at each other sadly for a moment before Chloe broke the silence. “Okay. I’ll get your bag and meet you by your door.”

“Okay.” Chloe quickly parted from Max, much to her dismay. She was kind of hoping that Chloe would never let her go. Max opened the truck door, the loud creak echoing through the area. She felt even more sad than she did the day before. Chloe shuffled toward her, pulling Max’s suitcase behind her. Once she was within reach, Max wrapped her arms around Chloe’s waist and held her close. She wanted to remember everything about this moment. Chloe held her tightly and swayed.

“I’ll miss you, Max Caulfield.”

“I’ll miss you, Chloe Price.”

Max stood on her tiptoes and gave Chloe one last peck on the lips and went to grab her suitcase before this moment got any more painful.

“Wait!” Chloe said. She was wearing a Nirvana hoodie to stave off the morning chill. She tore it off over her head and tossed to Max. “Something to remember me by.”

“I’m actually kind of warm,” Max said, trying to hand the hoodie back to Chloe.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Think of it as girlfriend initiation. The hoodie handoff is like...super important. Super official.”

“Oh!”

“Plus, it smells like me so you can get your creep on.”

“Shut up!” Max reached up around Chloe’s neck and hugged her again. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” Max whispered in her ear.

“You know it.” Max and Chloe finally parted. Max turned away knowing that if she looked back one more time, she might never return to LA. That was when she heard a very loud SMACK! It took a few moments for her brain to register a very alarming, very painful white hot heat spread across her right butt cheek.

When she turned to Chloe in shock, Chloe had put on her aviator sunglasses. “Get some, heheheheh,” she said and made the “rock on” sign with her hands before running around her truck and hopping into the cab.

“UNTIL NEXT TIME, PRICE! YOU’RE SO DEAD!” Max was absolutely stunned and taken off guard by Chloe’s behavior, although she knew she shouldn’t be.

“I can’t hear you,” Chloe mouthed to Max through the closed window, pointing at her ears and shrugging with that shit-eating grin on her face. Chloe turned up the music in her truck and peeled out of the parking space. 

Max shook her head as she watched her go.  _ I think I’m in love. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey! Believe me. I know how long it's been since I've been here. When this whole pandemic thing started I thought I would be able to write so easily and I'd get so much done! As you know, that hasn't happened. It's so strange. Yes, I do have more time to write, but there is also no input from my life inspiring me to do it. Okay, so I occasionally thing of how cool it would be to have a Red Dead Redemption 2 situation for Chloe and Max, but otherwise my brain has been empty. I've probably been keeping it that way on purpose, honestly.
> 
> Anyways, I am feeling better now. I had so much fun writing this, and I hope you enjoy it. Stay safe out there everyone!


	14. Chapter 14

_ I miss Chloe. _

It was Max’s first thought every morning when she woke and her last thought before she went to sleep. And her thoughts during work. And at home. Okay, she was never  **not** thinking about Chloe. They talked every night after work, but it wasn’t good enough. Not by a long shot. During the day, when they weren’t talking, Max’s insecurities started to seep in from her unconscious and got worse and worse as the weeks passed. If it was happening to her, she was sure it was happening to Chloe too. She couldn’t stop thinking about their conversation in her hotel room that night.

_ If this is your life on the regular, how could I even compete with that? _ How was it possible that a woman who looked like that, who was the sweetest person on the planet with a cute smile and a sexy strut, thought she wasn’t good enough? It made no logical sense to Max whatsoever. If anyone should feel insecure, it was Max. The mousy brunette who was pretending to be an adult. Who isn’t conventionally beautiful, who has never had a significant other, who has never done anything important with her life.

Max ran her hand through her hair.  _ Fuck. _

“Nice shot, Sma— Caulfield.”

“Shit!” Max gasped, leaping in her chair. She had forgotten she was at work.

“Whoa, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” Victoria said.

Max raised an eyebrow.  _ Did she just apologize to me? _ “It’s fine. What do you want?”

“Nothing, god. I was trying to compliment your photo. I was walking by and thought I’d tell you I like it.”

“Okay,” Max said skeptically. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Victoria barely held back an eye roll before she went back to her desk.

Max watched her walk back, perplexed. Kate popped up over her cubicle wall. “What happened?” she whispered to Max. She exaggeratedly tiptoed up to Max’s desk with an excited smile and leaned on the side of her desk.

Max raised her eyebrow once more. “She uh...complimented me.”

Kate smiled. “Good.”

Max’s brow furrowed. “Is this your handiwork?”

“She’s been a lot nicer lately, hasn’t she?” Kate’s smile turned into a smirk.

“Hmm. I guess. She told me yesterday that my eyelashes were so long that they looked like spider legs. I guess you could take that as a very shitty attempt at not being a bitch.”

Kate put the heel of her palm on her forehead. “She’ll get there.”

“So you two are really friends now, huh?”

“I guess. I’m still walking on eggshells around her. I’m afraid she’ll snap one of these days, but we can enjoy it while it lasts right?”

“Be careful, please. You promised to let me know if anything happens, remember?”

“Yes. She’s been perfectly kind. I promise you.”

“Okay, good.” Max decided to change the subject to something more important. “Any luck finding an apartment?”

“No, nothing yet. I’m having trouble finding something in my price range.” Kate’s shoulders hunched, and she looked ashamed. When Kate had asked her for advice on where to look for an apartment and how to begin the process, Max got the impression that Kate wasn’t telling her the whole truth. She wasn’t sure what kind of financial situation Kate was in, but it seemed like she was having a lot of difficulty finding a place. 

“You know, you can come stay with me if you need a place to be. If you need to get away from home or...whatever,” Max offered, trying to provide some comfort, unsure of what exactly would make the situation easier for Kate.

“Thanks, Max. I’m okay.” 

Max watched the light in Kate’s eyes dim. Max knew that look; Kate was retreating into herself, far away from whatever hurt she was avoiding. Max put her hand on Kate’s. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Kate said as she tried to plaster a smile on her face.

_ Good try, Kate. You’ve got your heart on your sleeve constantly. _

Kate shook her head. “How’s Chloe?” she asked, “Is she doing anything special for your birthday this weekend?”

Max’s heart warmed at the mention of her girlfriend’s name. “No. I don’t think she even knows it’s coming up.”

“What?! You should tell her!”

“No. I don’t want her to think I expect something from her, you know? It’s always weird telling someone it’s your birthday. It’s so...vain.”   
  


Kate rolled her eyes. “Max. She’s your girlfriend. She should know. It isn’t  _ vain _ to tell her things about yourself.”

Max shrugged.

“Well, if you don’t have any plans, I’d love to take you out to dinner or something. My treat!”

“No! I can’t accept that. You’re trying to save for an apartment.”

“Sure you can! It’s not like I’m taking you for champagne and caviar. Sorry.” They laughed at Victoria’s expense. 

“Fine. Let’s go somewhere cheap and eat gross food. Like In-N-Out!” Max’s stomach rumbled at the thought of a big, greasy burger.

“Sounds perfect,” Kate giggled.

* * *

Max’s cell phone vibrated; Chloe’s picture appeared on the screen. Max smiled.  _ Weird for her to call me now, but I’ll take it. _ “Hello?”

“Hey, cutie. How’s your morning been?”

“Hey! Um, you know. Good.” It was her birthday, but she hadn’t told Chloe about it. “Just working.” Max looked around at the other cubicles guiltily, knowing she shouldn’t be taking personal calls at work.

Chloe sighed. “Same. I’m so tired, though. Had a long night.”

“Oh? Is everything okay?”

“Ah, it’s nothin’ babe. Just thinkin’ about you and stuff. I miss you.” Chloe grinned when she said that. Max could tell. 

“I miss you, too. All the time. I wish you were here,” Max admitted.

“You do, huh? What would we do if I was there?” Chloe asked suggestively.

Max chose to ignore it.  _ She’s so rotten.  _ “Oh, probably hole up in my apartment for days watching shitty tv and cuddling.” Max heard the movement of a desk chair and looked behind her to see Kate staring longingly at her. Kate leaned against the cubicle, her chin resting in her hand, smiling. Max felt her cheeks turning red.

“Damn, I would love that.”

“Me too.”

“It’s about time for your lunch break, yeah?” 

“Yeah. Kate and I are going to the cafe around the corner.”

“Well, don’t let me keep you, cutie. You two have fun. Say ‘hi’ to Kate for me.”

“Will do. Wait, did you need something?”

“Nope! Just callin’ because.”

_ Okaaaay.  _ “You’ll still call tonight, though?”

“Of course. MWAH!! Byeeee.”

“Bye.”

Kate heaved an exaggerated sigh. “You two are so cute. I can’t handle it.”

“Hush,” Max said, embarrassed. “Chloe says ‘hi.’”

“Did you tell her it was her birthday? She’s going to be really upset that she doesn’t know.”

“I’ll tell her before the next one.”

Kate pursed her lips. “Mmhmm. You ready to go to lunch?”

“Sure.” Max stood up and placed her camera in her messenger bag. She slung the bag over her shoulder and said, “Let’s go!”

Kate and Max went to the elevator to go down to street level. “Are Chloe and Rachel moving down here anytime soon?”

“I don’t know. We don’t spend a lot of time talking about that,” Max answered.

The elevator doors closed slowly. “So what do you talk about then? How much you wwwwwuuuuuvvv each other?” Kate teased. Max couldn’t come up with a response for a question so ridiculous. Probably because it was mostly true. Just before the doors were closed, a delicate hand with a designer purse jutted through them. The doors reopened slowly to reveal Victoria Chase.

“You’re going to the cafe right? I’m starving.” She entered the elevator and turned to face the doors as one does. Kate and Max shared a glance. Max furrowed her brow as if to ask, “Did you invite her?” Kate shrugged.

Kate cleared her throat. “Victoria, it’s Max’s birthday. I’m taking her out to lunch.” The annoyance was plain in her voice. “For her  _ birthday _ ,” Kate said, obviously to suggest that Victoria should go away. 

“Oh, happy birthday, Max.” She turned to Max and gave her an actual, genuine smile. Max stared at her, wide-eyed and confused. “Th-thanks,” she managed to reply.

“Lunch is my treat then.” Victoria continued to face forward. Max turned her wide-eyed stare to Kate who had turned pale. She fidgeted where she stood.  _ Why are  _ you  _ nervous?! She likes you, Kate!! _

The elevator stopped and released them into the lobby. Max and Kate followed behind the blonde in heels and a pencil skirt, sharing nervous glances to the corner cafe.

* * *

The three stood silently in line at the counter exchanging awkward glances. Max tried to focus enough to decide what she wanted to eat but it was nearly impossible.  _ This is so horribly awkward.  _

“So, Max, any plans for your birthday night?” Victoria prodded.

“Umm, uh, no. It’s a work night and everything, so no.”

“Well, what about this weekend?” Victoria pressed.

“No, uh, just getting ready for next week.”

“Oh, what’s happening next week?”

Max wished so hard that she had something better to say but came up with nothing. “Work.”

Victoria nodded and tried her best to smile at Max, finally understanding that attempting conversation with her was near impossible. “Ah,” she said. “What about you, Kate? Any weekend plans?”

A bit of Kate’s color had returned but she still looked unwell. She was looking about the cafe frantically and kept wiping her palms on her dress. “Yes, um, actually I’m apartment hunting.”

“Oh! Finally moving out of the family home! That’s great. Where are you looking?” Victoria clapped her hands together as she said this. Max assumed she was relieved she had something to keep the conversation going.

“Pretty much anywhere to be honest. The cheapest place possible.”

“Okay. Well, I’d be happy to help. I know a thing or two about renting and real estate and such. I can come with you if you’d like! I can have Vincent drive us.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “He’s great to have around because nobody will fuck with you. His size terrifies people.” Victoria looked very pleased with herself, but her comment didn’t hit the way she expected it to. Kate smiled nervously, and Max looked at her shoes.

“Uhhh. Sure, I mean, I can’t think of a good reason why not,” Kate agreed.

“Really?” 

“S-sure,” Kate said quickly, looking around still. 

“Are you...looking for someone?” Victoria asked, following Kate’s eyes.

“N-no, I just...I’m hungry.”

True to her word, Victoria paid for their meals. Max tried to shove her card into the hand of the cashier, but Victoria caught her. “And get her one of those chocolate crescents. It’s her birthday.”

_ Well, okay, I guess the “ordering food for people” thing will be a harder habit to break.  _ Max wished she could melt into the floor. She tried to convey to the cashier with her eyes just how sorry she was that they had to exist at the same place and time. 

“Happy birthday, miss,” the cashier said in an obvious “customer service” voice. 

With their tray of food in hand, Victoria said, “There’s an empty table over there.” Max started to follow, but Kate grabbed her arm. “No! No, we have to go to the back of the restaurant.”

Max and Kate hadn’t been friends for a very long time, but she had never seen her behave so strangely. They had been here together several times, and Kate never cared where they sat. 

“Okay,” Victoria obliged, but she made sure they knew she was displeased.

They walked through a doorway leading to another dining area entirely. Kate led Max around a corner, a flash of blue catching her eye. 

Chloe looked up from her phone, smiling her glorious smile across the room from Max. 

_ Well, Max, you’re finally losing it. In a moment of intense social anxiety you started hallucinating the one person that could make it all better. Are mirages common in LA? It’s hot out here, and I’m probably dehydrated, I don’t know. Wave at her. Hi, Mirage Chloe! _

Max waved, her face dumb with amazement. Chloe raised an eyebrow and smirked. Chloe looked at Kate, pointed at Max and mouthed, “The fuck?” Kate shrugged.

“What the hell is happening?” Victoria asked. 

Chloe got up and started making her way toward Max who continued to stare, frozen in place. “Victoria, I see a table over there. Let’s go,” Kate ordered. 

“What about Max? Are we just going to leave her here to be attacked by that street urchin?”

Kate’s grip tightened on Victoria’s arm. “Ow, Kate!”

“Let’s go,” Kate hissed. 

Chloe walked over to Max in slow motion. Her aviator sunglasses acted as a headband in her ocean blue hair. Her white, skull tank top, ripped skinny jeans, and a black and blue flannel tied around her waist made her a punk daydream. Max felt the vibration from her boots hitting the floor as she came toward her. 

When Chloe reached Max, she wasted no time pulling her into a hug. “Happy birthday, beautiful,” she whispered into Max’s neck before placing a soft kiss there. 

Realization came slowly to Max, but as Chloe’s warmth began to radiate into her own body, Max tightened her grip around her. “Chloe! Oh my god, you’re really here! What are you doing?!” Max held on so tight by this point she was probably cracking Chloe’s ribs. 

“You didn’t think I’d miss your birthday did you?” Chloe said directly into her ear. 

“Who told you? Kate, oh no, Chloe I told her not to tell you. I didn’t want you to think you had to—“

“Give my girlfriend something nice? Wish her happy birthday? Tell her how happy I am that she was born? Hmm?” Max didn’t have an answer but tucked herself further into Chloe’s neck. “She didn’t tell me, Max.”

“Then who?”

“Uh, you, dorkus!”

“I did?”  _ Chloe, how is it that you smell so damn good 24/7? _

“Yeah. Call three-ish. We discussed our favorite birthday memory, which means we told each other our birthdays.”

“Oh...yeah. I can’t believe you remember that.”

“Why wouldn’t I? I knew even then you were my girl.”

Max’s heart swelled.  _ I can’t believe she remembered. Shit! When’s hers? Oh dog, I’m the worst!  _ Chloe loosened her hold on Max but Max wasn’t letting go so easily, so soon. “I have lunch for you at my table over there. And flowers!”

Max refused to let go. “Come on, you.” With Max still latched to her side, Chloe walked them over to the table where she had arranged their lunch. In the center sat a bouquet of radiant, golden sunflowers. 

“Surprise!” Chloe said as she peeled Max from her side and placed her in the chair across from her own. “Happy birthday, babe!” Chloe shouted before planting a kiss on Max’s cheek.

* * *

“Would you care to explain to me what’s going on here?” Victoria demanded.

As calmly as possible, Kate sat down across from Victoria and grabbed her salad from the tray. She stabbed her fork into the greens in frustration and took a giant bite. Victoria watched her chew, annoyed that she wasn’t getting an immediate answer. After swallowing, Kate pointed her fork at Victoria. “What just happened was  _ YOU  _ almost ruining Max’s birthday surprise.”

“What? She  _ knows _ that person?” Victoria looked over at Chloe in disgust.

“Obviously, Victoria! That’s Chloe, her girlfriend. She lives out of state!”

“Oh. Well, why didn’t you tell me you had lunch plans?” Victoria grabbed her own bowl of salad and began stabbing and mixing it like she had something to be angry about. 

“And ruin her surprise? I tried to hint it at you, but apparently you’re too socially inept to pick up on the clues! And it’s not like you asked me beforehand!”

“Okay, okay, fine,” Victoria conceded. “Fine. I’m sorry, okay! I thought you were being weird because I make Max uncomfortable. I’m trying to get to know her better, that’s all. Since you never invite me to lunch, I thought I’d tag along today. I didn’t know it was special.”

Kate’s frustration eased, and she giggled. “Catastrophically bad timing, Vic.”

Victoria smiled warmly at Kate. “I guess. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Make sure you apologize to Max, too. For inviting yourself and for calling her girlfriend a street urchin,” Kate directed.

“Fine. Can you blame me, though? She’s terrifying,” Victoria scowled.

“Chloe is a sweetheart. I’ll introduce you later.” Kate grinned at Victoria’s discomfort. “She can’t wait to meet you. And, since Max isn’t eating the lunch you bought, I call the chocolate crescent.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a month, but it's here! Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed my shameless worship of the one and only Chloe Price.
> 
> I have quite a few projects going on at the moment. This one, obviously, and then there's also "Now That The World Isn't Ending" which is a William lives AU which is currently available. I have one project that is v secret, super confidential, extra cute thing with Thanks_for_the_Letters. Also, I've been low-key thinking about adding to Speed of Light. That's a lot, I know. I'm having a lot of fun, though, and I want to share it with people that love this as much as me.
> 
> If you haven't heard, The Last of Us Part II is out. As I expected, it shattered my heart, but not in the way I expected it to. Because of that, I might write a fic for that too. I've got to process my feelings. Reading the fic that is out now is incredibly healing, so if you're suffering like me, go read some of that. 
> 
> I hope you all are doing well! Thank you for being here. Let me know what you think about the story so far! :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiiiiii. Can you believe it? I finished a chapter.
> 
> Since it has been a long time, here's a bit of a recap:
> 
> -Max and Chloe met at the Portland airport where Chloe works. They are currently dating, but the long distance is something they hate as Max is in LA and Chloe is in Portland. They haven't really had much time to really be girlfriends with each other.
> 
> -Vanessa Caulfield is not a fan of Chloe even though she hasn't met her.
> 
> -Kate and Victoria are becoming friends. Kate's mom is a bitch, so she is currently trying to find a place to live with her two sisters.
> 
> -Warren is a creep and we know it. Eliot is scary, but he hasn't been brought up much. 
> 
> -It was established in the last chapter that it is Max's birthday. Kate and Chloe worked together to surprise Max. This chapter begins after she sits down with Chloe. 
> 
> Okay, I typed that out and now I think it's super shitty. It's probably all you need to know right now though. This chapter is nice and warm. And fluffy.

The knowledge that Chloe was real and not a mirage eventually penetrated Max’s consciousness turning her confusion into pure excitement. She grabbed Chloe’s hand from across the table, which caused a grin from Chloe, and began a thorough questioning. “How did you get here? Why? You didn’t come here just for me did you? How did you set this up and—“

“Which one of these am I answering first?” Chloe laughed. 

“Wwwhu uh I don’t know!”

Chloe laughed harder. “Your face...priceless!”

“When did you get here?!” 

Chloe picked up the sandwich in front of her and took a large bite. “‘Bout anm hour agough.” She gulped and said, “Rach and I caught a flight down here. She booked an audition, so with your birthday and all, we decided I should come down with her to hunt for apartments.”

Max wished her brain was faster at comprehension, but Chloe made it nearly impossible by existing. Feeling Chloe’s hand in her own after what felt like so long, was the most euphoric feeling. Max ran a thumb across Chloe’s painted, blue fingernails paying extra special attention to her adorable thumbs.  _ My  _ ** _girlfriend_ ** _ is here to see  _ ** _me _ ** _ on my birthday and search for apartments in  _ ** _my _ ** _ city where  _ ** _I _ ** _ live?!?! _

Chloe allowed Max time to digest the information while she continued stuffing her face, smirking all the while. Max (reluctantly) took her hand from Chloe’s and picked up the roses from the table. She felt one of the petals for another confirmation that this was all real. 

“I...I can’t believe this.” Max beamed at Chloe. 

“Well,” Chloe rubbed her hands together to brush off the crumbs from her sandwich, “All I came here for was to see that amazing smile. Mission accomplished.” Chloe winked. 

Max blushed. “I um...we should go.” 

Chloe took a sip of her drink. “Don’t you want to like...eat?” Chloe chuckled. 

“No. Not really.” 

“Are you okay?” Chloe asked, brow furrowed. 

“Yeah, just one second. Will you go get me a bag?”

“Sure,” Chloe responded, confused. She stood up from the chair with hesitation thinking Max would change her mind. She looked like she might argue with Max for a second, so Max reassured her with a smile.

Once Chloe left to retrieve a bag, Max rushed over to Kate and Victoria’s table.  _ Wow, they look like they’re having a good time!  _ Kate laughed and Victoria was actually...smiling. Max didn’t know her face could do that naturally.

“H-hey, we are heading out um...c-can you guys tell Dana I’m not feeling well or something?”

“Don’t even worry about it,” Kate smiled. “I worked it out with her already, so you’re free the rest of the day.”

Max felt totally overwhelmed. “What? How did you—” Kate cut her off with a wave of her hand to say not to be concerned. “You’re the best, Kate!” Max knelt down and hugged Kate tightly. 

Kate giggled, “No problem. Go have fun with your girlfriend!”

“Pfft, I think that’s the plan,” Victoria muttered. Her cheeks reddened when Kate shot her a glare. 

“S-see you later?” Max choked out. 

“If you guys want to! Just let me know.” 

“H-oh, okay cool.” There was an awkward silence before Max lunged at Kate for another hug. 

“Heeeey, Katie Kat, keep your paws to yourself.” Chloe wrapped herself around Max’s torso in a pseudo-possessive way to emphasize her joke, but ultimately to be closer with Max. Chloe looked from Kate to Victoria who looked at her with a scowl. “‘Sup?” Chloe said to her. Victoria rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Kate, for your help with this.”

“You’re so welcome! Any time!”

“See you later,” she said with a wink at Kate. “Later, Vicky.”

With that, Chloe grabbed Max’s hand and led her toward the exit. 

When they were out of earshot, Victoria groaned, “UGH! I  _ hate _ that name. She’s vile!”

“Be nice,  _ Vicky _ ,” Kate responded, reveling in Victoria’s annoyance. 

* * *

“So, um, where are we headed?” Chloe clasped Max’s hand after they sat down in their bus seats and placed Max’s bag of food and flowers on her lap. There was a hint of concern in her eyes when Max didn’t answer, so she continued, “Anything you wanna do is my treat! We can shop, go to a movie, go skydiving or some crazy shit...up to you!”

Honestly, Max had only one thing on her mind, and it was something she wasn’t comfortable doing with people around. It seemed Chloe knew and was respecting that, too. Part of her wanted Chloe to kiss her anyway. Surely Chloe wouldn’t mind being ravaged in public, but Max wanted to be alone with her, and she needed it to be now. Who knows when they will get a chance with Rachel being around, so she had to take matters into her own hands.  _ But...what if she has decided she doesn’t want to kiss me anymore? She’s here to let me down gently. _

“We um...we have to make a quick stop by my apartment first. I want to change out of my work clothes.”

“Oh! Good plan.” Chloe let go of Max’s hand, wrapped her arm over Max’s shoulders, and pulled her in to give her a kiss on the temple. “I’m excited to see your apartment!”   


“I-it’s nothing much. Just a studio, you know? Not like yours.”

“But, you live there, which automatically makes it better than my apartment.”

Max snuggled into Chloe’s embrace. “I’m so happy you’re here.” This seemed to relax Chloe a bit.

“Me too,” Chloe said softly and placed a kiss on the top of Max’s head.  _ Wow, could you have been more wrong? _

* * *

Max fumbled with her keys at the door. Anticipation coursed through her making her hands shake and her body tremble.  _ Do I even know how to kiss anymore? What if I kiss her, and it’s not like she remembers and she hates it and hates me?  _

“Hey, um, sorry if this is hella weird.” Chloe chuckled nervously when Max finally fit her key into the lock of her door. “I really wanted to see you, but I didn’t really ask if you were okay with it. We didn’t get our usual airport banter in beforehand either.” Max pushed the door open and rushed inside; Chloe followed. “I don’t know if that’s a deal breaker for you or something, haha.” Chloe nervously rubbed the back of her neck, becoming increasingly more worried that her insecurities were correct as Max hadn’t said a word the whole time she was rambling. Max shut the door behind her, she heard the lock click.

“I’m, like, really sorry if I —-mmph!”

With the door shut and locked behind them, Max pulled Chloe to her by the straps of her tank top. When their lips crashed together, Max’s reality swirled. Having recovered from her initial shock, Chloe relaxed into the kiss, dropped Max’s flowers and food on the floor, and pulled Max flush against her body with a surprised, but pleased, groan. Max could feel the smirk in Chloe’s lips, which made Max even more determined to melt Chloe’s brain by deepening the kiss. She read online about how she might go about doing that and was determined to give it a shot. She had to show just how much it meant to her that Chloe was here, that she cared at all to surprise her on her birthday. Max needed to wipe out any and all insecurities she felt about them being apart, and hopefully show Chloe she was all in if Chloe was still willing to be. Despite the distance and time apart, Max wanted nothing more.

Max grasped her tank top even harder so Chloe couldn’t pull away before Max was good and ready to let her. Max parted her lips and gently coaxed Chloe’s mouth open with her tongue. Max knew she had accomplished her mission when she heard a sharp intake of breath and felt Chloe’s heart hammering against her fisted hand on the tank top strap. Max sighed into the kiss with satisfaction. Max was glad Chloe was holding her in place, her knees too weak to do any work themselves. Chloe slid her hands up Max’s back, and then she raked her nails gently down again leaving goosebumps in their path. 

In desperate need of air, Max broke away from Chloe’s beautiful lips. Chloe rested her forehead on Max’s, her eyes half-lidded, her chest heaving. There was a flush to her cheeks that Max had never noticed when they kissed before.  _ Maybe I threw her off her game. _ Max grinned knowing she definitely had.  _ Winning!! _

Chloe gulped. “K-kiss me like that again, Caulfield, and I’ll start thinking you actually like me or something. Heh.” 

Max kissed Chloe gently and said, “I do, you dork.”

“I was getting worried that maybe I’d fucked up or—”

Maxed kissed her again. The more she did, the more her own insecurities melted away. The way Chloe reciprocated without hesitation was the best confirmation of how Chloe felt the same. 

When Max released Chloe once more, she was even redder and completely dazed. Max brought her hands around Chloe’s neck, resting her arms on Chloe’s sturdy shoulders. “You’re the sweetest. I can’t believe you came down here for something as stupid as my birthday.”

Chloe smiled at Max. Somehow, her smile was even more radiant than usual, but it quickly became mischievous. “Hey.”   


“Hmm?” Max smiled back warmly. 

Chloe shook her head in disbelief. “Did you...uh...bring me here just so you could mack on me?”

“W-what?” Max wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.

“You know. Suck face? Make out?”

Max laughed with a blush and tucked her face into Chloe’s neck. “Maybe. Sorry. I couldn’t...kiss you properly in public.”

Chloe held her close. “Yeah, I get it. I wanted to do the same thing, but I didn’t want to...I had convinced myself that…”

“I know. Me too.”

Chloe cleared her throat. “We’re pathetic.”

“Truth.” Max wanted to live the rest of her life in Chloe’s arms. She settled into her as deeply as she could, breathing in her signature Chloe smell, already dreading when Chloe would have to leave again.

“It’s um...a good thing we didn’t go at it out there anyway.”

Now that Chloe said it, Max was a little offended.  _ Why the fuck not?! Let them see!  _ “Why?” she asked, trying to keep her tone even.

“Well, Max, you kinda ripped my tank off.”

Max gasped as she removed her head from Chloe’s neck to inspect her tank top. The right strap was stretched and ripped apart from the other half. It dangled pathetically revealing her black bra underneath. Max put her hand over her mouth in shock. “Oh dog, Chloe, I’m so sorry!”

Chloe cackled. “No worries. It’s an old one. If you wanna go back out though, I’d appreciate a shirt.”

Max tried to wriggle out of her arms and go hide in her closet to die of embarrassment, but Chloe held her firmly, as closely as she could, while she laughed at Max. 

Max tucked herself back into Chloe after calming down a bit. “I’m so sorry.”

“Not a big deal, Sweets. It’s a small price to pay for the best kiss of my life.”

“Pfft. Nuh uh.”  _ There is no way that Max Caulfield gave The Chloe Price the best kiss of her life. A sweet sentiment, but there’s no way. _

Chloe’s body stiffened. She forced Max to untuck herself from under her chin and look Chloe in the eyes. Chloe held Max’s shoulders and lowered her face to be at height with Max. Max looked into Chloe’s serious eyes, startled by their intensity. Her voice was kind but firm when she spoke, “I’d never say something like that just to say it. I promise you. You’re the best, Max. I won’t ever let you forget it.” She tucked Max’s hair behind her ear and smiled gently.

Max nodded her head, grabbed the nape of Chloe’s neck and pulled her in for another fiery kiss. She understood she had struck a nerve. She had yet to discover what would elicit that response in Chloe, but for now, she was content with kissing her senseless.

* * *

In the depths of Max’s t-shirt drawer, Chloe found a shirt that she absolutely had to wear. No matter how much Max whined, no matter how much she pleaded, no matter how much she pouted, Chloe insisted on wearing Max’s shirt with Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony.

“Of course you liked this show!” She said, pulling the shirt over her head. When she pulled it over her breasts and saw the fabric pull taut across them, she knew that it was much too small, but Chloe was going to wear it anyway. The shirt made it to her belly button leaving her amazingly muscular midriff showing.  _ Does she work out? Wowsers.  _ Max gulped and tried to look away.

Chloe walked over to the mirror to check out her outfit, leaving Max sitting on the bed. “Oh hell yeah. This is awesome! You’re not getting this shirt back.” 

“It looks better on you than it ever did on me anyway,” Max giggled. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Nirvana hoodie Chloe had given her peeking out of the covers. She shoved it under the covers quickly hoping Chloe hadn’t seen it already.  _ You’re a creep, you’re a weirdoooo. _

“Max?” Chloe asked, shaking her from her thoughts.

“Yeah?”

Chloe chuckled. “I asked if you decided what you wanted to do today, space cadet.”

_ Is making out here all day an option? _

“Uuuummm. How much time do you have?”

Chloe continued primping in the mirror. “For you babe? A lifetime.”

“Okay, smooth talker.” Max rolled her eyes but still loved it when Chloe said stuff like that. “It’s easy to spend half of your time in transit here. I don’t want to waste time with you on a stupid bus.”

“Gotcha. Well,” Chloe walked over to Max and flumped onto the bed next to her. Max couldn’t help but check her out, the way her muscles moved under her skin, how her skin was so beautifully freckle-less, how smooth it looked. She wondered what it would be like to touch her exposed stomach. “I guess we could just hang out here until Rachel’s done.” Chloe’s hand crawled toward Max. Using two fingers, her hand climbed Max’s arm. Max was no match for her wiles.

She tried to be cool. “I mean, yeah, it would be cool just to, y’know, chill.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow at her and snorted. “Yeah man, like, I was gonna hit the waves today, but, like, doing that would totally harsh my mellow,” Chloe mocked.

Max tried to frown at her but couldn’t help smiling. 

“Come here, nerd.” Chloe pulled Max into her by the collar. The rush Max felt when her lips touched Chloe’s was unparalleled. Max never imagined herself doing this. She’d barely been with Chloe at all. They had only shared a handful of kisses, yet she felt they needed to make up for lost time. For all of the times she wanted to kiss her but couldn’t. Max gasped when she felt Chloe’s hand go under her shirt and rub her back. Momentarily, she panicked, opening her eyes to make sure it was Chloe she was kissing. 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and it made her jump. “Shit!” she pulled away from Chloe, making Chloe groan out her disappointment.

Max pulled her phone from her pocket. Her heart sank when she read the name: 

**Warren Graham**

Max had all but forgotten he existed. Horrified, she silenced her phone and shoved it back in her pocket.

“Who was it?” Chloe asked, concerned.

“N-nobody.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. I kinda ghosted and took a break from reading and writing fic. Boy, have I missed it. I'm so happy to be back here with all of you!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! After a very dark fic, I thought you all could use a little light. There will be drama, there will be assholes that you may or may not want to hit with a bus, but the violence will be minimal to non-existent. :D
> 
> I'm really excited to share this with you. I thought this up back in June while I was waiting around in an airport. I spent so much time at Chicago O'Hare that I'm pretty sure I could map it out from memory. When I wrote the scene with all of the people around Max coughing, yelling, and snoring, that was true life experience. Max will escape the grossness, but after that trip, I had a cough so bad that it made me barf. Airplane cough the wooooorst. Too much information, sorry.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys are ready to go on another journey with us. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think!


End file.
